Krait book 04 A Different Kind of Diplomacy
by slytherinsal
Summary: book 4 in the ongoing saga of Krait and friends; Harry and co have a Voldemort free final year at school, but they have to face the fact that he might not be the nastiest creature in the world; and winning the peace sometimes is harder than winning a war
1. Chapter 1

_**You're all used to 2 chapters a day by now, so I haven't broken up the chapters from now on. Which should also eliminate the problem of strangeness happening to marked text…..**__**this is the shortest book, less than70k words so not really a full novel…. It introduces some themes that will become important **_

**Chapter 1**

Vernon Dursely was flattered to get an invitation from the owner of Grunnings Drills, for which company he was a director. An important man, but still not as important as the owner.

The owner was not a Grunning any more; he had married the daughter of the last Grunning and his name was Brian Clintock. He and his wife Laura were amicably not divorced and were reputed to run the most marvellous dinner parties. And Brian Clintock had invited Vernon and his wife and son to dinner.

Vernon was delighted. He was always terrified that his social superiors might find out about his nephew Harry Potter and his connection with ….THOSE people. Vernon loathed and feared magic and wizards and was not best pleased with Dudley for having decided – without even asking permission – to go swanning off with Harry to kill that Lord Thingey who had been so remiss as to fail to kill Harry when Harry was a baby.

Dudley was less excited about a dinner party than either of his parents; he thought it would probably be boring. Dudley had only ever been to one dinner party, but that had been at the house of his wizard friend Draco Malfoy, and they had been served food by house elves, whisking plates around by magic. Still, at least Draco had taught him what knives to use!

Vernon was worried.

"He's so posh, he's bound to have a load of cutlery" he grumbled "What if we use the wrong ones?"

"Oh that's easy, dad" said Dudley "You start at the outside and work inward."

"And how would you know that?"

"Draco told me…" he tailed off as Vernon went purple.

"Don't you dare let me down by talking about those types!" he yelped.

"Somehow I don't think the subject will arise" said Dudley trying hard to sound as urbane as Draco and wishing he didn't always feel that he had failed so miserably.

Vernon snorted.

He was anxiously contemplating whether the rules of posh wizards like the Malfoys were the same as those of everyone else or whether they did things differently just to be perverse; which he'd not at all put past THEIR sort!

"You go to the library and find a book of etiquette and find out how normal folk do it" he ordered Dudley. Dudley sighed but did as he was told; and reported back.

"Like I said, dad, start at the outside and work inward" he told Vernon. Dudley felt sure that if his dad's boss actually cared all they much it was going to be a REALLY dull party and wished he could find a subsequent engagement! That however would really irritate his father; and Dudley knew that there were times not to make a scene!

When they drove up the crisp gravel drive to Brian Clintock's big Victorian redbrick mansion, Dudley stiffened.

There were of course more than one silver grey vintage Rolls Royce in the country; but there could only be one that had the numberplate LUC1US. And he peered to make sure this one did.

It did.

Dudley grinned.

Maybe this dinner party was going to be less boring than he had thought.

Brian Clintock and his wife greeted the Dursleys warmly.

"Do you know Lucius Malfoy, Dursley?" asked Clintock "He has shares in the company…and his boy is head boy at the school my little girl is going to next term. I believe you've a nephew there yourself?"

Vernon went purple and the tic in his forehead started.

"Dursley and I haven't met" drawled Lucius Malfoy "But his boy and mine are good friends… well, Dudley my lad, how are you? Going into the business with your father?"

"I- I'm fine sir" said Dudley, grinning and meaning it "No, drills hold very little fascination for me I fear… I thought about the army, but…well, with what I know about…"

Lucius nodded gravely.

"You're not bad with cars I believe?" he said.

"I like cars… I don't know a lot" admitted Dudley.

"Well, if I sponsored you through a mechanics course would you be a second driver and mechanic under Jark for me?" asked Lucius "I could use your insights too in your world… I liked your broadcast on the wireless. Very moving, very telling."

Dudley flushed with pleasure.

"I'd really like that!" he said. "You've some excellent vintage cars – I love the E-type Jag, and I had to look up the Hirondelle on the Internet!"

"Draco wants to paint it red and cream to resemble the car of a fictional character called The Saint and get an appropriate number plate…..Good, that's settled…you said something Dursley?" he addressed Vernon.

"I don't want my son working for your types!" yelped Vernon. This was terrible; this Malfoy character wasn't even dressed in a proper suit but some floor length black velvet dressing gown!

Narcissa looked down her nose.

"What a strange little man your father is, Dudley" she said.

"He's afraid of – you know, what you are" said Dudley tersely "It makes him snippy."

"What – what a beautiful dress gown Madam Malfoy" said Petunia, trying to turn the subject. Narcissa smiled. The overall dark gold of her velvet silken gown suited her honey gold locks very well; and it was a figured velvet with the different heights of the pile seeming almost to be two different colours, contrasted with tiny blue flowers where the swags indicated in the figuring met. The same blue was a narrow piping at every hem.

"Why thank you Madam Dursley. Have you met Charlotte? My husband's mistress" she indicated the redhead. "She's a muggle like you, we find so much to talk about in comparing worlds; I expect you and your sister had conversations as interesting."

Petunia gave a strained, non-committal smile. She and Lily had mostly argued after Lily went to Hogwarts.

Charlotte smiled happily. She was visibly pregnant. Her gown was in the same blue silk velvet as Narcissa's flowers with a brocaded stripe of gold and cream velvet in it, very narrow, very subtle, and a hint of real gold thread.

"Its so nice that young Tamsin will be going to Hogwarts while Draco is still there" Charlotte said "He can keep her out of too much mischief I hope! My Erica won't be starting for a number of years, but out niece Julia will be starting next year…there have always been Malfoys at Hogwarts I think!"

"Er, so I believe" said Petunia "Where is Draco?"

"Oh he's upstairs playing exploding snap with the children…we brought Erica and Nathan" said Lucius. "He'll be down presently. The children will have their tea separately of course."

Dudley half wished he and Draco might be banished to a nursery tea too and play exploding snap.

"It's a fun game" he said. "I'm glad Draco taught me to play it!"

Lucius laughed.

"Well we grown ups do sometimes pretend to despise such childishness, but when it's our children – or siblings – we soon forget our dignity and have uproarious fun with them, isn't that so?" he beamed around the assembled company.

"Oh definitely" said Brian Clintock "Tamsin keeps Laura and me young."

"When she isn't giving us grey hairs" laughed Laura "I confess, the first time she turned her hair blue to avoid going to the hairdresser I was a bit taken aback – I expect you were a lot more laid back with Harry, weren't you, knowing how it had already been with Lily?"

"NO!" said Vernon "The boy is an abomination!"

There was a shocked silence.

"DAD!" said Dudley shocked "When he's saved us all from being enslaved and tortured by Voldemort and his deatheaters, how can you say that?"

"I don't want to talk about it" said Vernon "please" he added hastily as he felt all eyes disapprovingly on him. This was terrible! He did his best to conceal Hary and his links to those kind from what he had always thought of as decent folk – his boss – and now Mr Clintock was acting as though these awful Malfoys were perfectly normal and that Harry was a fit subject for conversation. Did Clintock not realise what awful people these were?.

There was an embarrassed silence.

"Of course, old man, very modest of you" said Lucius "Always hard to be the parent figure of a hero….being the father of one hero and uncle of another, I guess it must be difficult at times and here we are forcing it on you! Tell me, are you interested in opera?" he began to talk about some opera singer Vernon had never heard of – and cared less about – but at least it was a change of subject.

Draco came lightly into the room, every inch a young aristocrat. His face lit up.

"Big D! I am glad you could come, I wanted to ask you if you could come to see a Quidditch match with me…there are muggle repelling spells, but I can get you through them, you'll love it!"

"Uh, yeah, if I'm not doing anything, I'd like that" said Dudley "Are you making up a party?"

"No, but I expect we'll run into most of the old crowd" said Draco "David's keen to go I know, he wants to train to be a referee."

Vernon pointedly ignored the conversation and remarked loudly that he didn't know about Pavarotti but he liked a nice musical himself.

It would have been embarrassing for Dudley had he not been deep in a conversation about the rival merits of various teams. Draco had explained Quidditch when Dudley had stayed, shown him some broom moves; and loaned him a copy of 'Quidditch through the ages' by Kennilworthy Whisp, pointing out that you did not have to play to enjoy the game.

Dudley was fascinated; in truth he had become as fascinated by all aspects of the wizarding world as he had been previously opposed to knowing anything about it. And part of him hoped that this meeting with the Malfoys in a social setting his father had hitherto considered suitable might help his father feel the same way.

He was doomed to disappointment. Vernon grumbled the whole way home about Mr Clintock being taken in by Those Types and hoping he would not regret the rash and foolish step to send his only daughter to That Place.

And when Dudley murmured that he would have loved to have had enough talent himself to go to Hogwarts they almost crashed when his father literally rounded on him in the back seat and told him to shut up and not make a fool of himself over what he knew nothing about.

Dudley, to avoid being killed by dangerous driving, decided to say nothing about the fact that actually he knew a sight more about such things than a blinkered father who refused to know; and merely sighed gently. Petunia turned and gave him a sympathetic smile. Her own jealousy had turned her against the wizarding world; but Dudley was her whole world, and if he had wished to go to Hogwarts too, her heart wrung in sympathy. She knew how he felt.

Dudley subsequently escaped to meet Draco via the Loo network and went via Myrtle's loo to Mansion Malfoy's broom cupboard. He enjoyed his first Quidditch match, the Falmouth Falcons playing the Appleby Arrows; and Draco told him that he would see if he could get him an invite to the round Robin match between Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and Hogwarts if it was rescheduled.

"First we had Dumbledore's supposed death, then we got rather busy with Voldemort; and somehow it seemed a little superfluous to play Quidditch after that" he said "If we go ahead it'll be fun; Harry's our seeker and Krait and I are playing as chasers."

"I'd like that" said Dudley. He was however a little preoccupied.

"What's wrong?" asked Draco "Anything I can do?"

"I don't know… I have this problem…"

"Vernon shaped?"

"No, not really… though my father will hit the roof when he finds out…"

"You're gay?"

"No! No, not at all; if I was I shouldn't have the problem…there's this girl, she's the school bike."

"The WHAT?"

"The school bike….in that everyone rides her. You'd say broom I suppose."

"If a girl acted like that at school she'd be expelled from Hogwarts in short order…Krait only got kept because of her special circumstances when she got pregnant by Severus; and Molly and Arthur had to elope, you know. But it was only ever one man for each of them…ah. You got her pregnant?"

Dudley nodded.

"And she'll be a rotten mother…she drinks and smokes pot and she has an awful family…."

"And so you think you ought to take the baby from her and apply for custody and you're not sure how your parents will take it?"

"That's the least of my worries….courts almost never give custody to fathers, you know."

"What if she signs the baby over to your care?"

"Well, that would be different, but…"

"Leave it to me" said Draco "What's her name?"

"Keelanna Tench."

"What a name!" laughed Draco.

"Not as bad as Nymphadora Tonks!" protested Dudley.

Draco considered.

"Fair point" he conceded. "Leave it in my hands."

And Dudley felt immensely comforted.

Draco planned to confund the girl of course; or even use the Imperius curse. The child had a high chance of being magical and he had no intention of leaving the poor babe in the hands of a woman who sounded quite awful! Besides, the child was the blood of Harry's blood; and that was significant.

Dudley and Draco were not the only ones having full holidays. David, who lived at Hogwarts, had been getting to know better the daughter of the Police Sergeant at the nearest muggle village, Camburnath, since she was due to start Hogwarts in September. Her father, Archie Trumball, was remarkably laid back about it, having always had a tradition – albeit laughingly mentioned – of witches in the family. By their pale blonde looks David reckoned it was more likely wizards than witches, Malfoy boys on the razzle. Archie was eager to hear all about the wizarding world and what it would mean for his little girl; he had already got to know David and was glad to renew the acquaintance.

David unofficially showed Alice over the castle, and introduced her to Hagrid, who fascinated Alice! It was while they were feeding the pumpkins on Hagrid's special fertiliser – and Hagrid was surreptitiously using the engorgio charm – when the sound of running feet came across the moor.

Hagrid's instincts were to pull them into cover.

The muggle, running and limping, made for what he perceived as the ruins of some old castle; and sank into the lee of a wall. He was bleeding.

"We should help him" said David.

"Ar, even if on'y ter git rid of him" said Hagrid.

They went over.

The man yelped in fear and pulled a gun.

"What?" said David "Whatever's that for? You'd pull a gun on two children and an unarmed man?"

"You be careful, see?" said the man "I won't hesitate to shoot. I need help…food, water, bandages. You live in these parts?"

"Ar, I be keeper here"growled Hagrid "I gotta cottage. And I ain't takin' in no critter what'll point a weapon at two young ones."

"You'll bring me food, and bandages if you know what's good for you – and them!" sneered the man, though his face was contorted in pain.

Hagrid raised his pink umbrella.

"_Stupefy_" he said casually.

The man slumped unconscious.

"Ar, you'll have to tie him up with ropes, David lad 'cos I can't remember the spell to do it" said Hagrid, scratching his head noisily.

"Not a problem" said David, running for ropes. Naturally Hagrid's ropes were made of unicorn hair, from tail combings; a thought that would have led Horace Slughorn to moan with horror at the 'waste' of such valuable resources. Hagrid sold spare unicorn hair to Wendy Malfoy, who might be a muggle but nevertheless happily embraced the world of her husband's family!

Once the man was securely tied, David and Alice went across the moor to find Archie. They walked; though David was hoping to work with Archie to set up a bothy outside the village where brooms might be left for greater convenience for those who had friends in the village.

Archie Trumball was delighted to have the man in custody; the spell had worn off by the time the sergeant had driven his police land rover across the moor and scowled through the gag Hagrid had added to David's efficient bonds since he did not like the language issuing from the captive's mouth.

"Ay iphm, ah've nae doot but this is one Dougie Macpherson" said that worthy "He's wanted in connection wi' a bank robbery mind, but it seems there was a squabble over the diveesion of the loot. We hae his friends in custody in Glasgae and he'll no' be lang in joining them. Ye shouldnae have tackled him."

"Och, we didnae" said Alice "It was Hagrid, he cast a spell tae send him tae sleep."

"Weel, it's a very useful thing then" said Archie. "I'll tell him he angered yon keeper and wis slugged on the chin, I'm thinking, for he'll no need the truth."

Muggles tended to believe what they wanted to believe; and it was a well known fact that a loss of consciousness could cause some memory loss. Macpherson did not even need to have his memory tampered with – which was just as well since it was rather a delicate business that was probably beyond Hagrid – and would recall the big man lifting his umbrella and would rationalise that he had been hit with the handle of it.

David had every intention of accompanying Alice to Diagon Alley for her kit; Archie was grateful for he could not easily leave his post and Alice's mother lived with her boyfriend – a higher ranking policeman – in Glasgow, and was not likely, Alice said to accept her daughter's abilities, speaking with her delightful soft lilt, more received English than her father's broad brogue but with an attractive highland lilt.

"Mummy and her boyfriend are awfu' townies" she said "And she'd no want me underfoot, she's said so often enough. He's a superintendent and he doesn't like children."

David sniffed. He had no time for women who had children and then did not want to bother with them. He had been very much wanted by his parents, dead some years since in a car crash caused by a drunk driver, together with his little sister who would have been Alice's age.

And she would have plenty of friends to start the new year with; he was meeting up with various friends and their pet protégés, of whom Tamsin Clintock was only one.

With the arrival last year of Ed Dinalt, looking like another miniature Severus like Bil Prince, Severus and Krait had been looking into the boy's background. Ed was adopted, and it turned out he was in fact Bil's half brother, the child of Crassus Prince and a witch who had no desire to be a single mother. Severus, probing, uncovered several other illegitimate Prince children, including several who had muggle mothers. Crassus Prince seemed fond of seducing then leaving muggle women; the one he had married, Bil's mother, was the one Severus suspected him of murdering. One of the mothers was a supposedly muggle born witch, whose colouring was such that Severus thought her likely to have been a half sister of the infamous Jonathon Malfoy whose predilections for using women was like enough to Crassus Prince's. The final younger child he found had been the child of a squib, flattered up by Crassus when he met her out with her wizard brother. Her brother Anthony had made unpleasant jokes about Prince, how he resembled Professor Snape; and the poor girl had made the mistake of assuming anyone who resembled someone her brother disliked couldn't be all bad. Severus promptly offered Hilary Arbuckle a job helping out in his extensive nursery while her son grew up alongside his cousins. The other three had jobs; the Malfoy woman was an archivist, and Severus directed Lucius' attention to her to employ on the Malfoy family records; the muggle women were successful career women, one in insurance, and the mother of the oldest, due to start Hogwarts next term, was a journalist covering wildlife stories. Her son Callum was an engaging child with auburn hair and blue-grey eyes and who sported a slight humped back. He spent much of his leisure time drawing the fairies he could see quite plainly in the garden. A trip to St Mungo's sorted out his back, and he too would meet up the others in Diagon alley

There were older ones too, Severus supected; but making sure his little cousin Callum was prepared for school was the main thing at the moment. He was also working on getting custody of Bil's new half brother, born to her father's new witch wife, the one who had treated the little girl so badly.

Ron Weasley – rather reluctantly – was to see a new in-law onto the train.

Molly and Arthur had surpassed themselves in the preparations for the wedding of their son Bill to the veela, Fleur Delacourt; with Krait's intervention, Molly and Fleur had become close friends, especially since Bill had become badly scarred in a battle with a Ministry Deatheater who had used sectumsempra and lost him his ear and much of his good looks. Bill had refused to let the Blood Group heal his scars, but wore them proudly, for Fleur loved him anyway and Molly began to love Fleur for that. Everyone had gone to the wedding, and Madame and Monsiur Delacourt had declared that their younger daughter wanted to go to a school so full of valiant people, where wonderful Harry Potter was. As Harry had rescued her during the triwizard contest she had more excuse for her hero worship then most.

The other child that members of the Kindred had been asked to keep an eye on was another goblin child; a little girl called Garjala. Kinat had been asked to look out for her by her father, Golgo the Goblin activist, whom Kinat's father had described as 'all squeak and no trousers'. Kinat faintly despised the man for not sticking to his principles that wizarding values were no good; but Kinat's father insisted that you had to credit any parent for wanting the best for his own children. Kinat had nothing against Garjala herself; she was, he said, out of the common mould and a good sport besides; so he agreed.

This would be five new children the Kindred knew

"And quite as likely to get into trouble as any of the marauders past and present" said Krait, chatting with friends at the wedding. She had been passing around her new baby son, who had arrived late and on Harry's birthday; and having been connected to her by Blood at the time of the Battle had also got the lightning scar all the Blood Group shared. Harry was his godfather, naturally! Small Richard Harry had a tuft of black hair and was born, like his sister, a snake animagus. Lilith, at two years old, was busy bossing him. Richard beamed his baby smile upon the world and ignored her.

"Wagers on houses for the new ones anyone?" said Ron lazily.

"Oh not wagers… guesses maybe" said Krait as Hermione opened an indignant mouth. "We've a Prince who should be Slytherin; David's little friend will likely be Gryffindor or Hufflepuff; likewise the Clintock child. Gabrielle may well be Ravenclaw, veela being vain; and Garjala will probably be a Gryff because she's supposed to be mischievous and impulsive with a generous streak wide enough to make most goblins deeply suspicious of her."

"They'll be in whatever house the hat puts them" said Harry, lazily "And it'll doubtless be appropriate. And I'd not be too sure about the Prince boy; he has no preconceived ideas, and Sev mentioned to me that Albus wondered if hatting is doe too soon. I think he meant that Sev could have been Gryff; he's brave enough."

"Really, Harry, there's no need to insult my husband!" laughed Krait "Implying he might have been as beef-witted as the rest of you!"

"Oy" said Ron.

Hermione opened her mouth indignantly then shut it laughing.

"I always like to make Hermie rise" said Krait, cheerfully.

"Well, that's fine behaviour I must say for a junior professor, Madam Snape" said Hermione.

"Your point…I'll be Madam Malfoy, I think; no point having two Professors Snape on the staff" said Krait.

"He's really going to teach Chanting as an elective now?" asked Harry.

"Yes; to seniors. It's why I'm teaching potions to first and second years to free up some time for him."

"Horace Slughorn's not staying on?"

"Meh, he only took the job to be safe while Voldemort was out there…and hid when the battle started" said Krait scornfully.

"Is Padfoot teaching DADA again?" asked Ron.

"No, he's teaching geomancy fairly full time; we've got Alastor Moody back for a term or two, then Remus Lupin as a permanent replacement but he wants to do some work helping other werewolves before immuring himself in the world of academe" said Krait.

Krait was happy to be a part time staff member properly; it enabled her to keep an eye on the newly-returning Abigail Greengrasse, who had birthed Krait's half brother Salazar whilst in a sleep induced by Severus to protect her from her erstwhile boyfriend, Tom Riddle otherwise known as Voldemort. She had awoken on cue to the key phrase 'Voldemort is dead' and had been aghast to find out that she was a mother. Krait was easing her into getting to know Salazar; but as the girl had missed so much schooling – and had not aged in any case – she was to repeat her OWL year, putting her a year below her younger sister Emmeline; and then go on should she so wish to do NEWTS while Krait continued to care for Salazar. Krait did not mind; she adored her little brother, who was of an age with her own daughter Lilith. Even as the half house elf half sister to them both was only a few months older than Richard. Krait loved children; and loved as derly as her own two their adopted sons and daughters, Erich, Grace, Romulus, Jade and Lydia, and also the children of Severus' house elven second wife Sirri, one of Krait's dearest friends; Sirri's children Mimi and Sevvy were dear to her as would be the child Sirri was expecting by Severus.

Life was full for Krait; and very happy!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

David, Draco, Ron, Krait and Kinat greeted each other rapturously and introduced their respective charges as they met up in Diagon alley, together with Krait's charges collecting their own kit for the coming year.

Five young people surveyed each other warily.

Gabrielle beamed at Garjala who could only be described as 'cute' rather than 'beautiful' and flicked back her long pale gold hair.

"We 'oo are not 'uman or fully 'uman must stick togezzer, no?" she said.

"Aren't you?" asked Garjala, cautiously.

"But no! I am 'alf Veela you know; like my sister, 'oo came for ze Triweezard competition… she could not rescue me in ze lake an 'Arry Potter got me out, and Madame Malfoy 'ere, 'oo was zen still a schoolgirl, she rescued my sister from grindylows" explained Gabrielle, beaming on Krait.

"Oh" said Garjala "My dad sad it was demeaning for goblins to bet on it, but I guess….let me see, it'll be next year and then in another three years – and then we'll be old enough for the one after that 'cos we'll be in the top year" she added up quickly "So you and I can put our names forward and pledge support for whichever gets chosen, huh?"

Gabrielle squealed with delight.

"Oh yes! We shall be best friends all our school life!" she cried, kissing a startled Garjala on both cheeks.

"French, of course" said Ron, knowledgeably.

"They're all a bit like that" said Krait "Draco and me had to make a mad dash to France to rescue his cousins – the Vladimir Malfoys – because their mother abducted them when her husband proposed er, incarcerating them in some god-forsaken hole beyond the boundaries of civilisation. She meant Scotland; and he got her visiting rights revoked on her for it and serve her right. Lucius took half of social services apart to make sure that Vladimir had custody and that ruddy Christine female did NOT; and the French social workers co-operated nicely. But all that kissing!" she pulled a face "Garlic flavoured too; bet there's no Vampires in France, it's why that fellow Lestoat went to America to hunt!"

Draco grinned.

"I don't know, some of those French social service women were fit" he said.

Krait rolled her eyes.

"And after the way you kissed our Grace, I hope you're joking!" she said.

"He is" said Grace. She had firm possession of Draco's hand. Krait shook her head.

"It makes me feel quite old when my oldest adoptive daughter is courting!" she said.

"You are quite old" said Kinat "You're nineteen and a half!"

Krait poked him.

The party was joined in short order by friends of the older ones; Ellie was waiting for David, and Kinat, Romulus and Bil were pounced upon gleefully by the Malfoy twins with the express intent of heading for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"NOT until you've got this year's books!" Krait vetoed! "And be sure and handle your 'Monster Book of Monsters' with care, they bite!"

"Books – biting?" asked Tamsin somewhere between sceptical and horrified.

"That one does. Get them to show you" said Krait. It was all very new for the muggleborn child; as such of course Callum might well be considered too; and of course Alice. Alice had at least known David for almost a year; and he had told her a lot over the summer but still the first visit to Diagon Alley was a shock. Tamsin was rubbernecking when she walked into a small boy, only slightly less interested in everything than she was. Krait recognised the lad's older sisters; Leonie and Siona Barnett were Hufflepuffs in Harry's and Ginny's years respectively. There were two younger children too, a boy and a girl; and the family looked in more straitened circumstances than the Weasleys.

"Sorry!" said Tamsin "I say are you new too?"

The boy nodded.

"Tim Barnett" he volunteered.

"Tamsin Clintock" said Tamsin "These lot are new too, Gabrielle, she's French, Garjala, Alice, Callum. You look like you're a real wizarding family, judging by your clothes, so I guess you know your way about?"

"Not really, I've trailed around behind my sisters before but this is my first time for me of course… are you muggleborn then?"

"Yes, and so's Alice, though she's got wizard ancestors related to Draco and also to Madam Malfoy here who's sorting us out… and Callum's been brought up by a muggle mum. Gabrielle knows how stuff works in France but it's not the same and Garjala says goblins haven't long been allowed wands so it's a it new, and Kinat the first one."

"Yeah, it's all very exciting, isn't it?" said Tim. "I say" he lowered his voice "It's true that they all have the scar, the ones that helped Harry Potter! My sisters wouldn't join the secret society that defeated You-Know-Who, so I don't know much" he added mournfully.

"Oh we've all been invited to join the Muggle Studies Hobby Group" said Tamsin airily "Which is what they used to disguise it….we do Boy Scouts and Girl Guide type of things too, some of the teachers got themselves registered as Scouters and Guiders, Draco says, to blend in places…are you going to join?"

"Do I have to be invited?"

"I think you just have to want to fight evil and unfairness and stand up to bullies and things" said Tamsin.

Tim beamed.

"I'd like to" he said.

Krait meanwhile had turned to the lad's parents.

"Would you like me to take your Tim round with my charges, Madam Barnett?" she offered "Your girls will want to spend time over their higher level books – certainly Siona will, she's taking Potions to NEWT isn't she?"

Mrs Barnett flushed, surprised an pleased to be greeted to pleasantly by a Malfoy, and nodded.

"She got her O grade" she said proudly.

"Yes, I recall Professor Snape mentioned she's one of the students he DOESN'T want to poison" said Krait "Which is a Snapism for she's probably rather good. I'll be teaching Tim; I'm taking the lower two years for a while, the older ones" she nodded at the older girls "Are being offered an elective of Chanting. It goes well with Potions, it'll only be an OWL, but if you plan to make a career in potioneering I'd advise it, Siona."

"Yeah, I might do that" said Siona "I don't mind working with Professor Snape, he's not as scary as you get older and learn more."

Krait hid a smile; it was not even now generally known that she was married to Severus; their passionate kiss after the battle had passed most people by in the confusion who were not already in the know; and Siona and Leonie had both been lurking below in the dungeons safely out of things with the majority of students.

"You girls might want to spread it around as well that I'm running a sewing class in the evenings for those people who want to alter their dress gowns – let down sleeves, or take in second hand ones or jazz up last year's styles" said Krait "I can't abide waste and it's about time the wizarding world learned about thrift and how to make do and mend. I get sick of seeing ill fitting gowns that need ten minutes to an hour's hard work to look so much better!"

Leonie brightened.

"What can be done about rubbed velvet?" she asked shyly. Krait recalled the girl's robes had been of a long vanished style, albeit velvet and she had worn the same robe every year.

"Yours is midnight blue, isn't it?" she asked "I'm guessing the worst rub is on the cuff…elbow too?" the girl nodded. "Right, if you can get a piece of fabric – or a second hand robe, the size doesn't matter it could be a child's robe – in a toning colour or a contrast, and a different fabric. I'll show you how to make a feature of the sleeves by replacing the bottom half of them and trimming the front to match with piped fabric or bindings on the hems if it's rubbed elsewhere. I believe there's a brocade scarf in the seconhand shop in two blues that's about the right colour; it's a large one, should be enough of it."

"Thanks!" said Leonie "And there was me thinking you were stuck up!"

"Oh, I daresay I gave the impression; I was acting a part, as part of the forces against my revolting father" laughed Krait "It sets a strain on you, you know. And because my powers were swallowed in an opposing ritual muggle orphanage I didn't start until late, remember – I did a lot of classes with you while I was catching up – and I was working too hard to socialise much, other than in defence of Harry."

"Come on Mummy, let's see if the brocade is still there!" cried Leonie "And then we can get our books without being hampered by Tim and his cauldron!"

"It's very kind of you Madam Malfoy" murmured madam Barnett.

"No trouble!" said Krait.

After all, one more WAS no trouble.

The worst trouble was going to be getting shopkeepers to serve the goblins in her group; but Krait had never had any trouble depressing the pretensions of would-be racists.

As Kinat was busy explaining to the new ones.

"Krait turned Rom and me into woodlice!" he explained.

"They got better" murmured David dryly.

A cauldron each, equipment and lots of books later, Krait treated her party to ice creams. Being stared at and pointed at for bearing the lightning scar was almost as wearing as shopping itself, with wizards and witches wanting to shake her hand or be noticed by her. It gave Krait something of an appreciation of how Harry had felt when he first joined the Wizarding World, being pointed out as the Boy Who Lived. Hence refuge in ice creams.

It was not as good as cocoa with marshmallow in Severus' dungeon following hard defence against dark arts practice; but it was a necessary cure to the new term's shopping expedition. She laughingly suggested putting cheering potions in the ice creams especially for parents; and the proprietor told her that he would buy such a potion if she would make it for him!

It was another small industry to cover the expenses of Krait's causes and wards. She also wanted to support Argus Filch's Society for the Promotion of Education for Squibs; and had come up with the name for him, pointing out that the acronym SPES was Latin for 'hope'. Argus had been grateful for her help with his limited abilities and with her taking seriously his desire to help other squibs improve their status. He was thoroughly behind her desire to open an annexe teaching the non-magical siblings of wizarding children and squibs in subjects both from the wizarding world and muggle subjects. There was, after all, no reason not to offer OWLs in Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, History of Magic and Ancient Runes; and maybe herbology too and care of Magical animals if they had enough talent to see magical plants and animals. Such would give them a chance of support jobs in the wizarding world if they wanted. And there was no reason not to teach Latin to give those with small powers an added chance of managing practical wizarding subjects too. Krait had no difficulty in funding this; she had persuaded her father to pose as a muggle to obtain his own father's possessions, and Lucius Malfoy had advised him on making muggle investments. Tom Riddle senior had been rich; Lucius had made her father richer. But Krait was used to looking at both sides of a knut, and had no intention of passing up any chance to add to her wealth. More cash meant more scholarships!

Once all had been bought in Diagon Alley, the next hurdle for first years was platform nine-and-three-quarters. David stationed himself with Draco as unofficial whipper-in, as Draco called him. There was no real trouble this time; everyone who should arrive did arrive, and the boys had a list of the muggle born to assist bemused parents to shed their child in the right place. Alice was already aboard with her friends so that group of muggle born were fine. The Muggleborn Marianne Wilder arrived without mishap and mounted the train with aplomb. There was only one other child with a muggle parent along; a child called Mary-Anne Green who had the eyes of a dreamer, as did her father, both with pale faces and big hazel eyes that looked on the world with gentle wonder.

"Dear me, your mother wrote that we have to walk at the pillar" said the man, running a harassed hand through short brown hair.

"Well I expect she should know if she went to Hogwarts" said Mary- Anne equably. "Those boys look like they're waiting for us, are we late? The clock stopped, Daddy forgot to wind it but we listened to Big Ben."

"You're fine"said Draco "Draco Malfoy; I'm head boy. Fraser here will take you through if you're nervous."

Mary- Anne smiled.

"Oh not nervous" she said "It's just all a bit different because mummy hasn't ever told me much about it…she left daddy for a boyfriend in the ministry of magic you see and it's more comfortable for her to pretend not to know us."

"Well I don't approve of that attitude" said Draco.

"Nor do I much" said Mr Green "But I'd not have her stay with me and be miserable…only a girl should have some attention from her mother."

"We do just fine daddy" said Mary-Anne. "Come on!"

Draco hoped her clock would be working adequately by next term!

"No new young Weasleys this year thank goodness" he teased Colin.

"No, not as such, but there's my cousin Persis Beck" said Colin seriously.

Draco groaned artistically.

"Then Hogwarts IS doomed" he laughed. Colin grinned.

"Not with Lord Convolvumort as our head boy!" he said cheerfully. "You are the GREATEST HEAD BOY on ….well it's not earth it's stone" he added in as good an impression as he could manage of Draco's great satirical character.

"And they'll remember that long after they've forgotten if I was a good head boy or what subjects I was good at or that I was a good Quidditch player" Draco complained to David.

"And with reason" said David "It's one of your greatest legacies; and it helped to destroy Voldemort. And kept us all cheerful in the bad days. What greater legacy can a man have than that he helped fight evil?"

Those who sported the lightning scar were objects of awe to the new children of course; and behaviour ranged from blushing incoherence through giggling and pointing to those who pushed themselves forward to meet and shake hands with the Kindred. One lad, with and looking like Francis Davenport who had been in the gang both Hawke and Romulus had belonged to, said to Kinat

"I say, my dad don't much like goblins, but you must be pretty special"

Kinat shrugged.

"There are goblins and goblins; and humans and humans, muggle or wizard. There's Bodrig the Boss-eyed that my dad reckons brings the rest of us into disrepute; and Golgo who's loud, but then there's Ragnok who's nicer than he comes across in his book and thousands of others who just want to be left alone to get on with their lives – like everyone else. Goblins get stroppy because of the laws about wand carrying, which are being revoked and goblins coming under the same rules as everyone else about wand use. Also we tend to get forced to live in poor neighbourhoods and get the less well paid jobs unless we have a ministry job in Gringott's or have weaponry and armour making talents. And not all Goblins do, despite th e belief many humans have that we can all turn out magical armour at the drop of a helmet and make a mint from it. We like money more than humans as a general thing; and again that might be because it compensates for low social standing if we can get it. I'd turn down all the wealth in Gringott's if I was offered it if it meant giving up the friendships I've made. He your brother, Davenport?"

"Yeah" said the older Davenport "This is Ralph."

Kinat nodded.

"Maybe you'll have more sense than your brother and learn to get on with people regardless of their blood status" said Kinat.

Ralph gave a curt not that might mean almost anything.

The sorting hat took little account of Krait's guesses; though she had not been entirely inaccurate. Alice and Garjala were in Gryffindor, as was Persis Beck, the Weasley cousin; and so too, to some surprise was Fleur Delacourt and Callum Delaney Prince. Tim Barret was unsurprisingly in Hufflepuff; and so too was Tamsin Clintock and to no surprise to Draco, Mary-Anne Green. Other than the Davenport boy, of whom Kinat had spoken, he knew none of the new Slytherins, though of course he cheered them as they were declared. It was tradition.

And the new year was begun; the first new year in a long time in which the shadow of Lord Voldemort had not lain on the hopes and aspirations of the new pupils.

Draco looked for a really good year to mark his last year at Hogwarts and his second year as head boy.

He really hoped that it would actually be a quiet and uneventful one, save perhaps for a win in the round Robin match if it should be re-scheduled; and he must speak to Madam Hooch – Red-card Rolanda as his young cousins irreverently called her – about it.

He had not forgotten either his promise to Dudley; though he had asked his father to make enquiries to help Dudley get control of his child.

Lucius had been ready to help.

Partly because having a wizarding grandchild would irritate Vernon Dursley; and Lucius had taken an instant dislike to Vernon Dursley. And the child would be talented, for Draco had managed to get close enough to the girl to cast the revelaspell on her belly. He had not yet shared that with Dudley; but he looked forward to doing so!

The match was to be on; and both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had agreed that any team members might be retained even if they had left school. Rolanda Hooch detected some smugness in the tone of the Durmstrang Quidditch coach and suspected that most of their top players had left. It was Krait who Rolanda wanted to include, because with Draco she flew like a demon. That they might also play the Weasley twins as beaters.

The stipulation was made that the match was to take place almost immediately before the weather deteriorated, as it might do quite severely on the continent. The team was to set out immediately.

"What about my classes?" demanded Krait "We need to make sure I'm back for my first years."

"Oh we'll manage that well enough dear" said Madam Hooch "We go on Friday afternoon for one match, play all day Saturday, receive the cup on Sunday and be back first thing Monday.

Krait nodded.

"Good enough" she said, grinning at Rolanda's firm assurance that they would win.

One small impediment had to be dealt with first, which turned up in the first flying class; that one small boy was carrying the wrong equipment, his family having moved recently to England; and he had a small flying carpet instead of a broom.

"And a sight more comfortable I bet it is" murmured Bil to her friends.

Krait meanwhile, with some trepidation, taught her first formal potions classes.

"There is, in the art of potioneering a great deal of subtlety" she said "One may decant luck or bottle death, creating effects that transcend what may come out of the wands of any but the most talented are my words boring you, Miss Wilder that you feel a need to talk to your neighbour so rudely?"

The Gryffindor girl flushed.

"It was important to finish what I had begun saying" she said.

"Indeed?" said Krait, sweetly "What is possibly more important to you than the education for which your parents are paying in the fond, if mistaken, belief that you are taking advantage of your chances to study?"

"I had to make Garjala see that all right minded people back her and her minority group!" said Marianne Wilder.

"And a statement of such blinding obviousness was more important than my words of wisdom why?" demanded Krait "You may write me out one hundred times after school 'I will not steal from my schoolfellows by wasting their time in lessons' and be sure it is in your best handwriting."

"I'm not stealing!"

"Oh yes you are, Miss Wilder. You are stealing time and time is precious. You have wasted far too many minutes of this class, you bore me; I don't want to hear from you again today unless it's important."

She resumed her description of the world of potioneering; and it is to be said she had the undivided attention of the entire class.

Miss Wilder received a telling off from several off her class mates afterwards because Krait had swept them along at speed and regretted that they would not have time at the end to practise cauldron work on the perfect cup of marshmallow cocoa, a collective punishment that they resented all the more for being told they would lose the privilege before they even knew they were to have had it.

It transpired that Miss Wilder, at her muggle school, had been in trouble for attempting to 'liberate' the few Moslem girls in her class; and had been heard to express some views on the unfairness inherent in the system of the wizarding world with as Bil put it 'a didactic arrogance that left Hermione looking the soul of hesitant tact and quiescence'.

As Marianne Wilding saw fit to lead off to Garjala and Kinat about how Madam Malfoy was probably as racist as they came, she was firmly put right concerning Krait's leading role in the new laws giving more rights to both goblins and house elves.

"You're a fool" said Kinat "And you don't know what racist is. I got a threatening letter when I first came to school telling me my little sister would die – she's a year younger than you – if I didn't leave, and Madam Malfoy was one of the people who was instrumental in helping to have her rescued. She's got a half-elf ward you know, and she doesn't have any side. She hates racists; she turns them into woodlice until they apologise, and she don't care what race they are. I wriggled with too many legs next to the pureblood I was having a scrap with because what I said was pretty filthy too. And I suggest, my girl, until you know what you're talking about you keep it shut. Your instincts may be good, but your means of expressing your ill-informed views are going to do nothing but land you with enemies."

"But you're downtrodden, I heard you were in detention already!"

Kinat laughed.

"Me? Downtrodden? I don't think so! Am I in detention tonight? Yes. Why? Because I and my friends were caught putting the jellylegs hex on a group of older boys we think are bullies because they were throwing their weight around with the younger ones. And the bullies are also in detention for equally illegal wandwork in the corridor. Only their spells bounced and we turned their knees to jelly and they had to be rescued by Professor Black" he grinned. "I'm one of the New Marauders; and if there's mischief going on in Hogwarts we've heard of it even if we don't originate it! Now act with the becoming humility of a wart of a first year!"

Miss Wilder was humiliated.

She had taken the determined refusal to be liberated of the downtrodden girls at her old school to be an effect of brainwashing; but Kinat was not claiming to be happy with his second class citizen status but was claiming that it did not even exist as such, at least at Hogwarts, and was defending the stern, sarcastic woman who had interrupted her mission.

When another Gryffindor, a red haired boy, told her he thought she was a bully to force herself on a smaller child like Garjala who plainly did not like her company nor her barbed comments about Madam Malfoy, whom he knew Garjala liked, she was put out.

"How do you know she likes that woman?" she demanded.

"Because we all stayed over with Cousin Krait before we caught the express and Garjala told me she did" said Callum. "And so do I and if you don't I guess you're in a minority group all of your own, so if I was you I'd start finding ways of raising your own standing in the community and that means not sounding such an idiot it gives the excuse to the purebloods to call you things like stupid mudblood. Did you know that's a rude word for muggleborn? It's banned at Hogwarts. But there are people who consider your kind to be lower than goblins on the social scale because at least they belong to the world of magic by right."

"Oh so that's your view is it?" she sneered "And you Malfoy friend Alice Trumball?"

Callum laughed.

"Why don't you ask Alice her blood status?" he asked.

Marianne did.

"Oh I'm muggle born like you" said Alice cheerfully "I guess I dinnae hae to be as defensive as you seem tae be because I made friends with a boy from Hogwarts last year. I wish ye'd stop acting like a haverin' wee naif too; it's awfu' distracting and a'most as bad as Lionel Dell and his casual racism."

Marianne had much to think about!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The team was eager and ready to play, leaving as soon as Krait had taken her first class with the second years first thing Friday morning. They had all been eager and ready to begin making a swelling potion, and had enjoyed testing it, since Krait had a deflating draught on hand to negate the effects of the swelling potion fight she permitted in the last two minutes to test its efficacy.

"Cool!" said Colin Weasley "I should think with a flitgun like you use for doxycide you could use it as a weapon. Even a Dark wizard would have trouble saying a spell with swollen lips and tongue, or using his wand with swollen fingers, wouldn't he?"

"Ten points to Gryffindor for lateral thinking. Yes, you can adapt almost any skill to fighting evil if you have the imagination. And this is also why you will, I'm sure, apply yourselves to casting wordlessly and without wands as you progress up the school" she added. "There are only a few wizards capable of casting without wands – living wizards that is, though even Voldemort wasn't that good at wandless charms."

"I've rarely seen you get your wand out, Madam Malfoy" said Jasper Crouch- Jones "So you are one of those few?"

"I am" said Krait. "And it comes in very useful. But it is not covered by what I teach here. Nine inches on the uses of Swelling solution and its antidote, in next Friday, dismissed."

oOoOo

Draco had talked very fast; and Dudley had come through the loo network to join them. They did not plan to introduce him to the foreign teams; he was to be Madam Hooch's assistant and carry equipment for her. As they were to travel by Portkey, it did not matter that he could not get a broom to fly; they took him along as luggage, as Draco said cheerfully. Dudley grinned. He was just delighted to have a chance to see Harry and Draco play the game that meant so much to them. He was given German and French magically and Krait told him to keep his ears open and his mouth shut, because he was at some risk in an area where muggleborn were despised, let alone out and out muggles. Dudley nodded earnestly.

oOoOo

Durmstrang was as forbidding a building as Krait remembered from when they had kidnapped young Erich from it two years previously. The whole school had turned out to welcome them; and the Beauxbatons team was already there.

The entire of Durmstrang's team were larger than Hogwarts' largest player, keeper Damon Rich.

"Lumme!" said Fred.

"Crikey!" said George.

"The bigger they come the harder they fall" said Krait serenely.

The Beauxbatons team had also chosen mostly tall players; tiny Krait was dwarfed by all of them.

"What's that, your house elf?" asked one of the Durmstrang players.

Harry looked at him levelly.

"And do you judge me by size too?" he said, from the height of the giant young Aryan's shoulder.

The German boy had just caught sight of the scar.

"Uh, nein" he muttered.

"And well you should not" murmured Draco in a Yoda voice.

The boy looked again and goggled at the scar reproduced on Draco's and Krait's foreheads, and on Ginny's as reserve.

"But…" he said

"Those of us who were in mental communication with Harry Potter and in bloodpact with him for the battle shared the blast of the killing curse and together we bounced it" said Krait. "We are the ones who survived the killing curse; it is our badge. It's why we had to back out of the match last year; we were just a trifle preoccupied you know with a little problem." She smiled brightly. "Dealing with dark wizards is a little hobby of those of us at Hogwarts. Oh but of course, you know that because you sort of mislaid your previous Headmaster when he went on the run, didn't you?"

"It ees an honour to play quidditch against 'Arry Potter an 'is friends" said the Beauxbatons captain, a tall pretty girl. "Shall we get to ze toss of 'oo goes first?"

The first match was between Durmstrang and Beauxbatons; a situation that pleased Harry well enough because it gave them a chance to observe tactics. He and Draco also took turns to point out strengths and weaknesses and fouls to Dudley.

"The guy casting surreptitious hexes on the edge of the field is the Durmstrang reserve" said Krait. "When we play, Ginny, how about you hex him and good?"

"Bat bogey hex?" asked Ginny.

"No, too obvious….just confund him and make him think he's in love with Rolanda – or Draco – so he's not concentrating on casting spells" said Krait "Let's have a er, level playing field here."

"Make him adore Rolanda by all means but not me" said Draco "He might fly after me to wrestle me to the ground and I'm afraid of him winning and me losing my precious virginity to him."

Ginny grinned.

"Well, I didn't think Grace was so backward about coming forward!" she said. Draco flushed.

"Don't be silly, she's too young" he said. "We can get engaged after the end of next year when she's finished her OWLs but I'm not about to distract her in the meantime."

"Do distract her just enough" said Ginny earnestly "Or she might think you don't care. I know, believe me; I had enough trouble pinning Harry down….OUCH!" as the Durmstrang beaters caught the Beauxbatons seeker between them with their bludgers in what was evidently a well practised move, sniggering as they did so.

"Had to be magic getting those bludgers timed to close" said Draco "Nasty types aren't they?"

Dudley was flushing; such tactics were similar he, in his muggle way, would have considered once to be valid. Seeing others use such violence had become very embarrassing! He resolved to hang one on any beater who tried to do the same thing to his cousin!

"Nasty is almost an entry requirement here" said Krait, answering Draco. "Beauxbatons is protesting; and quite right. I'll go and heal their seeker." She glided to the hospital tent whence the injured seeker had been taken.

"I've a potion we keep in our locker" she said "Brewed by Severus Snape…he is rather famous for his potions."

"Yes, we 'ave 'eard of 'is fame" said the Beauxbatons coach. "What is in it?"

"Murtlap juice, dittany and freely-given unicorn blood" said Krait "He has a semi-tame unicorn that lives near Hogwarts."

It was close enough to the truth; she freely gave her blood when she took the form of unicorn.

The French coach gasped.

"'E is most privileged! Why you share this with us?"

"We do not want to win, if win we do, against less than the best" said Krait. "Besides, it was a foul blow."

"They deem it legal; we can do nothing."

"Other than doing it back" shrugged Krait. "Ah, that's working… can he go back on?"

"If the snitch has not been caught; I don't see why not" said the seeker, sitting up "I WANT those fils des putaines!"

His efforts were valiant; but it was in vain and the match ended without the snitch being caught and Beauxbatons down four hundred to sixty. It was almost embarrassing.

"Right team" said Harry, tersely, for after lunch they were to play Durmstrang "We're all battle hardened, using filthy tactics doesn't bother us; we've fought worse."

"Yeah, at least they won't be hurling avada kedavra at us" quipped Damon Rich.

"Stay loose, play fair but don't expect the other side to do so. Take it in our stride without whining or retaliating" said Krait. "Show them we can win without dirty tactics. Zach, you do the majority of the scoring, Draco and I will fly the bludgers off their ruddy brooms, okay?"

Zacharias Smith nodded.

"If that's the way you want it" he said.

"We'll score too if there's an opportunity" said Krait "But we'll pass a lot, Draco and me are good at that, and get the quaffle to you when it's too late for them to stop it."

Lunch was a cool affair; the French team were not speaking to the Germans and the English found themselves between the two. Krait surreptitiously tested the food for any kind of adverse ingredients. It seemed to be fine; but she watched the Durmstrang team tuck in before she herself ate.

She had several antidotes with her in any case, from glumbumble juice against the effects of alihotsy to a bezoar in case of serious poisoning. With Durmstrang it did not do to take any chances!

oOoOo

The Hogwarts team was drawn against Durmstrang in the afternoon. They lined up; and the size of their opponents was definitely unnerving.

"They look like they've had an all over application of my second years' swelling solution" said Krait gaily.

"Only to their egos" said Draco. "They haf in their minds the self-importance potion been taking" he did a cod German accent.

Krait grinned.

When she and Draco could laugh together it worked almost as well as taking Felix Felicis.

They needed their self confidence. The beaters flew fast and furiously and came threateningly close. Krait and Draco, in tacit agreement, flew aggressively back, taking turns to fly directly at the beaters, refusing to turn. It was a tactic Krait had read about as used by the earliest aerofighters, in biplanes, fighting in the First World War, and it had worked almost every time against German pilots.

It worked against German beaters too; and the beaters swerved away at the last minute, losing concentration. With one thus distracted, the other two chasers having only to beat one beater and the keeper.

Soon Hogwarts was sixty points to ten up.

Harry was pitted against the tall and relatively slender young seeker; who flew with a style that suggested he had been coached by Victor Krumm. Harry knew Krumm and had watched him fly; it was some advantage. Thus he expected the Wronski feint, and was not fooled by it; but backwinged and looked for the snitch that had temporarily disappeared from view. It fluttered by between the two seekers, the German youth busy pulling back up, plainly irritated that his favourite trick had not worked.

"Close, mein herr, but no cigar" called Harry.

Hogwarts was at this point three hundred to one hundred. Fred and George were doing a great job flying to confuse the Durmstrang chasers; and Damon had taken the opposing team by surprise with his turn of speed belied by his heavy looking build.

The two Durmstrang Beaters decided to fly side by side, between the goal and the Hogwarts chaser. Draco passed Krait the quaffle; and she saw the snitch between the opposing seeker and Harry.

"Harry – catch!" she said, quickly calculating trajectories, and hurled the quaffle – away from the goal and away from the beaters. She ducked to avoid a bludger, swinging under her broom smoothly so it passed over the position she had been in a moment before. Harry jinked quickly and reached with his hand; Krait was accurate and he knew he would be in exactly the right place.

And his hand closed on the golden snitch where the quaffle had knocked it off course with a perfectly weighted throw.

Krait watched snooker on muggle television because the mathematics of it fascinated her; and had applied the same principle by using the quaffle to kiss the lightweight snitch, which even though it was self motile was still subject to the laws of physics within the enchantments that defied muggle physics.

It ended the game; and though the extra hundred and fifty points was scarcely needed, it was always good to have – as a matter of pride.

"He really is the quidsats hadderach" said Draco, who had had the joke explained by David. Dudley was almost jumping up and down with excitement!

The Beauxbaton team cheered happily; seeing the team that humiliated them beaten so elegantly cheered them up no end! That they would play this team tomorrow in no way depressed the French team; their seeker kissed Harry on both cheeks and said,

"If we lose against you, eet will be zat ze best team will win, and you will play fair to do it….eet was a treat to watch your team play as one man wiz several bodies."

Harry grinned.

"It's a team that fought Voldemort; we've had a lot of practice" he said.

"And it will be no dis'onour to lose to you – though I warn you, we shall do our best!"

"I'd expect nothing else" said Harry, disentangling himself from the affectionate embrace.

Next day, the two teams met.

It was a good game; fairly played and fun.

Hogwarts chasers were better, and they racked up almost two hundred points despite the excellent Beauxbatons keeper, whilst Beauxbatons barely struggled over one hundred.

Harry and his opposite number caught sight of the snitch at the same time; and flew towards it. The French lad flew like a demon, inspired and lifted by flying against the great Harry Potter to fly as he had never flown before, reaching out towards the snitch. Harry urged his broom on; and then it went black.

Krait and Draco rocked slightly; and felt themselves stabilised by distant kindred.

The medical wizards ran towards the two fallen bodies, who had fortunately fallen from a relatively low height.

Harry groaned.

Krait landed.

"Who got it?" she asked.

"Neither of us" said Harry in disgust. "Merlin's pants, he has a hard head!"

"Eh bien, my friend so 'ave you" said the other lad faintly.

"Will the seekers play on?" asked the referee.

"I think we call an 'alt 'ere" the French team leader, a chaser, landed. "You agree?"

"I'll speak for my addled team leader and agree" said Krait. "Let's not risk any more injury; we may have outscored you but your seeker has the glory of not being beaten by Harry Potter."

The French girl brightened.

"Mais oui, zat is true!" she said. "You 'ave won but we are not 'umiliated."

And it was all over.

Beauxbatons had played two, lost two; Durmstrang had played two, lost one and won one.

Hogwarts had played two and won two.

There was no need for any kind of play off, and the cup was duly awarded amongst false smiles hiding well ground teeth on the part of the Durmstrang hosts.

"Such a pleasure" said Harry, receiving the cup "Of course in such matches it's not the winning that counts but the taking part; for this is a friendly contest. But in friendly contest our competitive spirit is honed against such time as we may have to work as a team in earnest, as we found at the battle of Hogwarts last spring, and then we are repaid for our team spirit and er, constant vigilance."

"Git" whispered Draco amicably. Harry just grinned.

The Beauxbatons team gave Harry an ovation; the hosts clapped politely and frostily.

Krait was watching Fred and George to jump on any unseemly display of gloating; and to stop them spreading surreptitious Weasley's Wizard Wheezes around.

It would be undignified if the hosts were all eating ton tongue toffee.

oOoOo

The team returned victorious and were duly cheered to the roof by the students and staff of Hogwarts; and Dudley crept back into the cupboard under the stairs, feeling awed and privileged that he had seen such a wonderful display by his cousin and his friend; and taking with philosophy his father's scolding for disappearing for the weekend without so much as a by-your-leave, and demanding to know where he had been.

"Visiting Harry" said Dudley, deciding not to mention that he had been to Germany without a passport.

Vernon was furious.

"Since you've been associating with those types your behaviour has been going down hill!" he yelped "You're grounded for the rest of the term!"

Dudley did not much care; it had been worth it! And there was nowhere to go that was really fun any more, so that was fine

"That had better not include my morning runs for fitness, dad" he said "If it does, I'll talk to our school nurse that you want to make me fat again so you can humiliate me; 'cos I know the things to say to get sympathy."

"You dare threaten me?" Vernon was incredulous.

"Yeah, I guess I do" said Dudley "And by the way, as I'm over sixteen, it's my right in law to live where I like; and I guess you don't want me to choose that being Malfoy Manor yet?"

Vernon went white. If Dudley defected from his school it put him in a very awkward position.

"I wasn't planning on stopping your runs anyway" he said grandiosely "Only to punish you by curtailing your social life – since I cannot be sure what bad company you're getting into."

Dudley nodded.

"Very well dad" he said. If there was an emergency and Harry needed him – unlikely as that was – he could always leave the house through the cupboard under the stairs. And possibly even return before his father knew he had left!

oOoOo

Krait went serenely to her potions' class first thing on Monday to an ovation from most of her class. The Slytherin members had discovered that Krait had been a Slytherin and were very partisan; Tamsin and Tim led the Hufflepuffs in adoring her, with Alice and Callum and Garjala rooting for her from amongst the Gryffindors. The Ravenclaws generally approved once someone had mentioned that Krait had earned seven NEWTS – five being considered a tough proposition – all but two of them at 'O' grade and the others 'E'. Marianne Wilder was in a minority.

"Tell us about it, Madam Malfoy!" Lionel Dell was not keen on the ideals Krait stood for – his father was a pure blood with familial connections to several deatheater families – but he was also quidditch mad. Others added their pleas.

"No, I'll not waste your lesson time!" said Krait "But I tell you what, I'll as the others to come up to the Great Hall after tea and we'll answer all your questions then, I promise, anyone who's interested. And you work hard for me this morning, deal?"

It was a deal. Even Dell worked hard, though he was no potioneer.

Krait sighed.

"Mr Dell, you are plainly doing your best but I fear you are going to cost your parents a small fortune in replacement cauldrons by the end of term." She said, surveying the melted mass that had been the bottom of the boy's cauldron "You do not yet hold the record for the most quickly destroyed cauldron…which honour goes I believe to Mr Crouch Jones in the year above you, who destroyed his first cauldron within five minutes of getting it out; narrowly pipping Mr Longbottom in the seventh year by a matter of some ten minutes. However, you may go down in history as one of those who has gone through the most. Take a detention with me on Friday and we shall go through proper cauldron use again."

"Sorry Professor Malfoy" said Dell, forlornly "I just can't get a feel for it."

"That is not your fault; but inattention is, and that is what burns most cauldrons" said Krait. "You forgot your cauldron because you were concentrating so hard on slicing your yarrow leaves; THAT is why you are having a detention of instruction not a detention of punishment."

"Thank you ma'am" said Dell.

Krait found it hard to make up her mind about Dell. He passed racist comments in the corridors and was snide and bloodproud; but he had some kind of moral code of his own that could perhaps be developed, and he was unfailingly polite without that smarming attitude she had learned to associate with those hiding dark intentions. She had caught him once jinxing Garjala, but when caught he had owned up and taken punishment without complaint. He could be cruel; but yet there was something straight about him that she hoped to get the chance to cultivate.

She would set David to keep an eye on him; David had common sense and to spare. And as David had a friend in the same year, it would not be so obvious.

oOoOo

The Quidditch team duly gathered and answered questions, and Krait had to demonstrate how two balls knocking into each other may each take on different trajectories. Muggleborn quickly caught on when she made the snooker analogy; magicborn took longer.

"Don't try this at home" grinned Draco "If madam Malfoy wasn't the superb arithmancer she is, she would never have managed it."

"Meh, I shouldn't do it in any ordinary match" said Krait "But we were stopping their eighth man casting hexes at us and we were outscoring them and the mood was ugly. I was seriously afraid someone was going to get hurt unless we could end the game. And the only way of doing that in a hurry was for someone to catch the snitch; and though I'd back Harry a thousand times over against that Victor Krumm wannabee, I wanted quick."

"You mean they were CHEATING?" demanded Dell.

"I thought that was quite plain" said Krait "It's one of the features of those people who are taught that the end justifies the means; people who believe that it's all right to use Dark Magic For the Common Good – yes, I do use those words carefully chosen, because even the most decent youngster can be, er, seduced to the dark side if given the right impetus and having the right connotation put on his actions. And that sort of phrase is one we toss around casually without thinking of how it was subverted to mean 'the ends justify the means' as it was interpreted by Gellert Grindelwald, the Dark Wizard who tried to rule Europe fifty or sixty years ago. You've all heard Professor Moody on constant vigilance; and whilst he may be a little er, zealous at times, he is right enough. Save that the constant vigilance we need to hold mostly is on our own motives. A little cheating here to avoid looking bad becomes a serious degree of cheating somewhere else. I do not, of course, count murky acts performed by the desperately poor to keep body and soul together, or those suffering from blackmail. Such people have excuse. But you are the elite of society and have no excuse. One day, this quality of education will be available to all in our society and we shall if not eliminate at least drastically reduce poverty. But it is the attitude that one group is better than another for reason of birth, race or whatever, that leads to wrong thinking and a tendency to cheat life by feeling that actions to one group doesn't count. You may start only despising house elves; or muggles. But then what about half breeds? Goblins? When does it become acceptable to despise Gryffindors and execute them out of hand for being chosen by the wrong house? You laugh, and I chose a perhaps silly example, but under the rule of Voldemort's puppets, those in Gryffindor house were essentially marked as undesirables simply because Gryffs traditionally opposed him. Durmstrang despised us because we let in those with not only one muggle parent but the totally muggle born. And so cheating against us doesn't count. Sorry - no actually I'm not sorry this became a lecture on avoiding the Dark Arts and nasty habits. I didn't set out to do it. But if you're going to be shocked by Durmstrang cheating, you have a right to know something of the realities of life. End of lecture" she smiled.

"Thank you for linking continuing practises to what we have fought against" said David "It reminds us that though Voldemort may be dead, his methods and ideology is not necessarily buried with him. And let us never forget that it is out of Germany that the likes of Grindelwald rose, and the Nazi Party, and ODESSA which is still not defeated. Evil has not triumphed; but we still cannot say that good has entirely won the day. Good has, on the whole, triumphed in Britain. Let us rejoice in that, and may you younger ones never have to face what we faced a few short months ago, long ago in a previous lifetime. But even so, it will require your constant vigilance to prevent any other like Voldemort arising. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to remain silent."

David was applauded; he had a lot of respect from the lower school, not harmed by his own lightning scar.

"Well put" said Draco. "All right, I think we've covered all the games; and a lecture or two besides, cut along and get your homework done. And if you haven't any, believe me, I have!"

And those who had come to hear about the match dispersed quietly, more so than they might have expected, and more soberly too. There was a general belief that with Voldemort dead everything was wonderful; and to find that the ones who killed him did not feel that way was a chastening thought. And if some of the young Gryffindors dreamed of the glory of fighting other dark wizards, the more thoughtful children of all houses determined to do all they might to makes sure they would never have to do so!

oOoOo

Meantime, Marianne Wilder, uninterested in Quidditch, had buttonholed Hermione Granger, head of Gryffindor house and equally uninterested in the game, and demanded, as senior muggleborn student, what she planned on doing about equal rights.

Hermione was taken aboack; but soon regained her aplomb.

"Young lady" she said, pointing to the scar on her forehead "Don't you feel that this constitutes rather significant proof of what I have been doing for equality?"

"Why? How did you get it?" demanded Wilder.

Hermione stared; then took a deep breath. And then proceeded to tell the girl exactly what that scar and all who bore it stood for through the blood pact to help Harry Potter bring down the most evil wizard of all time and foil his plans for enslaving muggles and making all who were not pure blooded into second class citizens.

"Moreover" said Hermione "As the founder member of the Society for he Promotion of Elvish Welfare how you have the cheek to imply I do nothing for equal rights when elves are the most downtrodden creatures in our society, well, the mind boggles! You are a rude and ignorant little girl; even I was never as rude as you and I was generally reckoned outspoken to the point of insolence! I suggest you apply yourself to learning more about the society you find yourself in before passing ill-informed judgement; and I also suggest you go to the library and peruse the latest few copies of the Kalendar of Regulation to see how we have been changing the law recently to make things fairer. Perhaps that will help you to be less of a bloodsnob!"

"Granger! I'm not a bloodsnob!"

"No? Well you come across as one, more interested in the rights of the muggleborn than the rights of others; though I hear you have been banging on at the goblins here, who are quite capable of asserting themselves, by the way. I wonder how much interest you'd take in the rights of werewolves? They need people to stand up for them, you know."

"W-werewolves?"

"Yes, why not? We had a most delightful werewolf as a professor one year because Professor Dumbledore isn't prejudiced. But some idiot parents made a fuss. He was made into a werewolf when he was five by an evil werewolf, a deatheater as it happens. Was that his fault? I think not. Go and learn facts before you make comments. You'll get further in your causes if you can quote chapter and verse of the law or be able to quote unpleasant comments by other people. And just TRY to put your brain into gear before opening your mouth my child!"

"But..if the scar means you're against racism and evil, how come Madam Malfoy has it?" demanded Wilder.

"Krait? She was one of the foremost fighters for the cause!" said Hermione "She brought so many people together, overcame so many other people's prejudices and made us into a real team!

"She – she called me a thief of time and wasn't interested in me wanting to tell Garjala her rights!"

"TELL Garjala? What could YOU tell Garjala that the daughter of one of the most prominent activists for goblin rights doesn't know, you poor prune? Are you telling me you were talking IN CLASS?"

"Well, yes, but she was only introducing the subject and…"

"Then if you got away without cutting up horned toads you got off lightly!" said Hermione "If you are inattentive for one MINUTE in potions you could end up poisoning yourself – or a friend. If you've managed to make any yet. And believe me, I had trouble at first because I was didactic enough to scare people off, but at least I wasn't as confrontational as you!

"I thought she just didn't want a goblin given support" said Wilder sulkily.

"When it was Krait and Professor Snape who petitioned Professor Dumbledore to let in our first Goblin after persuading him to take our first half-goblin….Wilder, you go out of your way it seems to make the most ignorant assumptions without the least regard for verification in the most arrogant fashion. Go away; you bore me."

Hermione was quite proud of that last sentence; it seemed almost worthy of Severus, and she was strongly minded to go and see him and apologise for being so didactic herself in the light of how irritating she could now see that it was! Wilder stumbled off almost in tears.

It was finally starting to penetrate her rather thick skin that perhaps she had been making a fool of herself and had better learn more before she said any more!

She headed for the library to ask meekly for back copies of the Kalendar of Regulation from Irma Pince.

Her classmates did not miss her.

oOoOo

Severus fed Hermione tea as she told him how sorry she was she'd been such an obnoxious little squab. Severus laughed.

"Hermione, by what I've heard from Krait, you never came close to being as bad as the Wilder child; though I confess I did itch at times to strangle you! But however certain you were that you were RIGHT, you NEVER failed to take notice in class; especially the more dangerous classes like Potions and Transfiguration. And part of the reason that I loathed you with a passion was because you were as academic as I had always been but with the self confidence to put yourself forward."

"Half of that at least was a mask to hide how lonely I felt for being loathed by just about everyone – Ron included at first – for being so keen on work" said Hermione "And I was rather a sanctimonious little prig and deserved it" she admitted.

"Mind you, when the hearty types are mucking about and that interferes with your work, there's a kind of perverse satisfaction in being sanctimonious" laughed Severus. "I've done it myself; though I think it came naturally to you. And I'm glad you outgrew it. And you were never sanctimonious to the detriment of listening!"

"No; that at least I DID avoid" said Hermione. "I hope I got through to Wilder; I gave her rather chapter and verse!" and she explained what had happened.

"Well if she doesn't get the idea from something blunt enough to be worthy of Krait and snide enough to be worthy of me, her skin is thicker than an erumpant's hide and she'll soon be the most unpopular girl in the school" said Severus "Let us hope that your words sank home."

"She did seem thoughtful" said Hermione. "So long as I wasn't too blunt?"

"My dear girl, sometimes you have to be" said Severus "And I think that as her head of house you did an excellent job to help her fit in better. And nobody could have done it better; you're a credit to Gryffindor and I am surely pleased the brat isn't in Slytherin!"

Hermione laughed.

"Ah, the selfish Slyther we know and love!" she said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Callum Prince was at the centre of the next excitement.

It was in Divination class, which he quite enjoyed, and not merely because he had done well using the specially attuned divining rods to find chocolate that was Madam Spikenard's usual first lesson. Professor Spikenard told the class to pick a partner – from a different house, and preferably someone with whom they had not had much speech; talk for a minute or two then on her whistle sit down for more instruction.

Callum glanced at the Slytherin, hesitating over two girls, one with a nasty white burn scar on the side of her face and another, a sullen looking girl despite her perfect skin and golden hair and eyes who would be beautiful if she did not look so miserable all the time. The other Slytherin seemed to shun her somewhat. Callum smiled tentatively; something told him he should approach her.

"Partner?" he said "I'm Callum."

"Cynthia Strong. My what a nice little do-gooder boy to pick the pariah."

Callum flushed.

"Are you? And I should care why?" he said.

"You don't know that they despise me and my mother? She's a whore you know."

"Oh? Well what's that to me?" said Callum. "I guess it's a job."

The girl laughed harshly.

"A job! Well you really take the biscuit, Gooder!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not? You're a nice child from a nice family I bet!"

"Actually I'm illegitimate, and my mum works very hard to keep us as well as possible, so I guess we have that in common. And – and if you call me Gooder, I shall jolly well call you Cynner, not Cynthia!" he said.

"Heh, spirit to go with the hair eh? That's a deal then Gooder!"

Callum had not meant it to be a deal, but if this prickly girl considered it a friendly thing to be given a nickname, he would have to endure hers for him.

The whistle put a stop to any further conversation.

"Right" said Professor Spikenard "Stare at your partner and write down or draw what comes into your head first."

There was a lot of giggling; but Callum, staring at Cynner was suddenly in a frightening dream, seeing a man in a dark alley attacking a woman.

He came to himself finding Professor Spikenard standing beside him and the rest of the class staring.

"You saw this?" she asked gently.

Callum blinked; then looked down at the page where there was a clear and recognisable picture of his dream. He screamed in terror.

Cynthia snatched the paper and cried out.

"You said you knew nothing of my mum, Gooder!" she cried.

"I don't! Is – is that your mum?"

She opened her mouth but looked into his distraught face and said only,

"Yes."

"The rest of you may dismiss early" said Professor Spikenard "And write up six inches for me on first impressions based on reading chapter three in your Practical Divination handbook and your own findings. You may collaborate with your partners. Callum, I think you have had here a true vision. Did you feel drawn to Cynthia; and have you ever done this before?"

"I was drawn to her, and I've sometimes had vivid dreams. I told my mum once not to go on an assignment because it was dangerous and she laughed a bit, but I cried until I was sick – I was very young then – and the reporter that went instead was eaten by a lion" said Callum. "She's always listened since then."

"Have you ever been in Knockturn Alley?" asked the professor.

Callum shook his head.

"I never heard of it" he said.

"I live there"said Cynthia harshly. "My mum's been ill for a couple of years, and you can even see that on the picture, she sh-shouldn't be out working but if I'm here I c-cant steal for her and – and keep her!"

Madam Spikenard put an arm around the child's heaving shoulders.

"We must assume that Callum sees future not present" she said kindly "And it is dark. I will ask someone to go and protect your mother, my child; she will be taken care of! And if she is ill, Professor Dumbledore does not like his students worried about how their relatives are, he will see she is cared for, as he cared for his own little sister to make sure his younger brother could stay at school. You are too young to have to have so heavy a responsibility. I'll go and tell someone; you youngsters get yourselves together, and if you need it go up to Madam Pomfrey for a dose of cheering potion" and she hugged them both briefly and whirled away with a good turn of speed for an old woman!

"My mum's away a lot" said Callum "She's often talked of getting someone to live in to keep the house lived in, 'cos now I'm at boarding school she don't mind taking assignments abroad. Reckon she'd be glad to have your mum live with us, Cynner, and tell her more about the wizarding worls when she is home."

"Reckon you'd better find out that your mum'll be too nice to have anything to do with mine" said Cynthia.

"Oh Merlin's three day old stinking underpants full of sweat!" said Callum in disgust "Do you HAVE to be so negative?"

"Yes" said Cynthia.

"Huh, well, you're coming to the MSHG with me to learn not to be" said Callum. "I'll get my half sister Bil to poke you out of bed."

"Half sister? Your mum played about then?"

"Nah, our father's a creep…he's sired brats in and out of the wizarding world and cousin Severus – Professor Snape – is working on tracking us all down. Ed Dinalt's another, you know. It's life I guess; I don't actually know how many half siblings I have but I like the ones I've met so far. See? I've got murkier relatives than you 'cos my father's not a whore he's only an amateur!"

Cynthia stared; then gave a harsh bark of laughter.

"Only an amateur! I like that! Oh, but are you sure my mum'll be okay?"

"Of course! Didn't Madam Spikenard say so? She'll get someone hard like Sirius Black or cousin Severus on it! C'mon, let's go and wash, you look a mess and I bet I do too; and after break we've got arithmancy. You're good at that, aren't you?"

Cynthia nodded.

"I love all the lessons but that's my best" she said "And I feel so guilty enjoying learning when mum's not well still…"

"Well you won't have to worry any more 'cos if she and my mum don't get on, the MSHG will think of something, it's there for each of us to take our problems to as well as fighting evil."

She drew back a bit.

"I ain't parading my troubles for a bunch of snotty kids to laugh at."

"It isn't like that! In the MSHG you call on each other like family. That's the point of it; it's not just a club it's – it's a way of life, pledging yourself to honour each other" said Callum seriously.

"Well I'll come along and see but don't expect me to bare my soul nor prob'ly to come more'n once" said Cynthia ungraciously.

Callum bit his lip; it was hard to help people who pushed you away!

oOoOo

Sirius Black called the two youngsters into his office after lunch.

"Miss Strong, I need to know exactly where your mother lives; the addresses in Knockturn Alley are not precise. I shall be going to see her and stay as long as is necessary. Prince, have you ANY idea how long in the future this event is to take place?"

Callum shook his head.

"No sir, I'm sorry, I just….got the picture in my head. I don't have any idea."

Sirius shrugged.

"Well, as you didn't really know Miss Strong before I'm guessing it'll be relatively imminent. No-one will hurt your mother, child…." He held up a flask with muddy looking liquid in it "….because they'll be trying to harm me instead. And I think this mysterious cloaked figure that young Prince has drawn will be in for a severe shock."

"Is that Polyjuice potion sir?" said Callum.

"It is; and if Miss Strong's mother is as loyal as her daughter it shouldn't even taste too bad" grinned Sirius. "Now, give me those directions and both of you can hoppit and leave it to me!"

"Yessir!" they both said, and Cynthia explained exactly how to find her mother's apartment.

"He was pretty nice about having to go to that trouble" said Cynthia.

"Oh Padfoot will enjoy discommoding a creep" said Callum "Did you know he was one of the original marauders, that the New Marauders are sort of in moral descent of?"

"No I didn't. How do you know? And why do you call him Padfoot?"

Callum grinned.

"'Cos cousin Severus is a Marauder too and they were in the same year together you see" he said. "They all have their nicknames – cousin Severus is Scales, it's a joke on both the snake of Slytherin reference and the fact that you need scales to weigh out potion ingredients – and we use them in the MSHG. It's an agreement that we're friendly and on first name terms there but properly disciplined in school. It's the conditions under which they lighten up."

"Right" said Cynthia, dubiously.

oOoOo

Sirius was treated with some suspicion by Anastasia Strong when he knocked on her door and explained why he had come. He showed her the drawing.

"The lad who did this went into a trance. He's never met you nor even been in Knockturn Alley, but the carving behind you is pretty distinctive" he said. "I believe it's a true vision and so does our Divination Professor. As she was an insurance assessor before coming to teaching she's not exactly gullible. And you have to have a sixty percent divination rate to even get a job in insurance so she does know what she's talking about."

Anastasia Strong stared at the picture.

"I – I suppose you'd better stay then" she said.

Sirius drank the polyjuice potion with its final ingredient – a lock of hair from the woman – and sauntered out into the alley.

It was disconcerting to be approached by one of the workers of Borgin and Burke, a ferrety looking man with close set eyes and loose lips.

"How much, sweetie?" he asked.

Sirius resisted the desire to lay him out.

"I- I'm waiting for someone particular" he said "sorry; another time maybe."

"Huh, if you can't do your job there won't be another time" sneered the man.

Sirius let him stride away and let out a silent wandless indigestion hex, one of Krait's invention for people she disapproved of. It was not life threatening; but it would be unpleasant.

It was almost the duty of an ex Marauder to do something like that.

It was late when the attack came. The man in the cloak approached; and Sirius knew this was the one. He simpered and hoped he had done it right.

The man in the cloak was not up for conversation anyway; he just opened his mouth revealing the long vampiric canines.

Sirius stunned him almost automatically and cast '_Incarcerous'_ to bind the assailant with ropes.

He went back in to Anastasia.

"Vampire" he said laconically "Can you keep your wand on him while I call in the Ministry?"

Anastasia nodded and followed him out. She did not bother to say that she was a squib and would put her trust in her sharp little knife rather than in a wand. She knew she would not let down the brave wizard who had helped her; and was afraid he would despise her and think she could not cope if she admitted to being a squib.

oOoOo

Sirius apparated to outside the ministry and with some difficulty roused someone in the Department of Dangerous Magical Beings and explained what had happened.

"Can't leave him there" he said "Dogs'll come and piss on him. Ain't fair on the dogs."

The young ministry official, who had never heard of Clint Eastwood, gave him an uncertain look and a nervous laugh.

"I'll get someone over directly" he said.

"No, you'll get someone over right away" said Sirius "Or I'll report you for endangerment. That witch I left watching him is a sick woman and I want him removed now."

"Er, right" said the youth "I'll assemble a ministry apparation team right away, Mr Black."

"Do that" smiled Sirius.

It was nice having social standing to back up orders. The new order had decided that the title of 'Lord' was superfluous and contumelious – Krait's word – but those who stood as the major family representatives were known and respected. Or maybe feared just a little.

The lightning scar never hurt either.

oOoOo

Once the vampire had been arrested formally, Sirius took Anastasia – protesting faintly – to see Callum's mother.

Kathleen Delayney had met Sirius and welcomed him in, and his friend, and heard the story with growing sympathy.

"Of COURSE Anastasia must stay here, at least until she is well" she said "The mother of my son's friend is more than welcome, and I'll happily drive you to St Mungo's if you need appointments there."

"I'm over the illness I caught" said Anastasia "I was just very pulled, and in those damp apartments coughs never really go…"

"Well the air here is pretty good in the suburbs of Gidea Park and a nice rest without having to worry will do you the world of good" said Kathleen. "You can help me if you like by doing cleaning spells that elude me, as a muggle, if you feel you want to pay your way; and you can house sit for me when I'm out of the country. Deal?"

Anastasia flushed dull red; she could not go on under false pretences to this kind woman!

"That'd be more than fair, Madam Delaney but for one snag; I'm a squib. It's why I'm a whore. I can't do spells."

"Oh, call me Kathleen, please! Besides, I'm not married. Callum's father was not interested in anything like commitment which I doubt he could even spell" said Kathleen cheerfully. "As for being a squib, why I apologise for asking. Perhaps instead you'll help me as much as you can doing things the non magical way? I've a decent hoover anyway, I bought a Dyson…well, I guess that's something I can teach you while you tell me stuff I don't know" she said.

And so it was settled.

oOoOo

Sirius told Cynthia and Callum all about it next day at MSHG; and Cynthia wept with relief and at kindness she had never expected.

"See? People aren't as nasty as you expect them to be" said Callum.

"You know other do-gooders I guess, Gooder" said Cynthia stubbornly.

"Well you really are the limit, Cynner!" said Callum.

Cynthia did however continue coming to the MSHG meetings!

And the nicknames stuck, especially Cynner!

An unexpected side effect of Cynthia's joining the MSHG was her being asked by Melody Bloom, the girl with the scarred face, where she went in the mornings; and Melody decided to come along. Severus had noted the child staring at his scars since the beginning of term; and spoke to her gently in the relaxed atmosphere of the MSHG in the hopes that she would feel able to say what she seemed always on the brink of saying. At last she burst out,

"Were you hexed too, sir?"

Severus stopped what he was doing immediately – which was duelling with Draco, and so turned temporarily green from _avocado kedavra_ that Draco had slung before he realised Severus was no longer taking any notice of him. A quick apology and a negation had Severus his own colour again.

"Hexed? No, I was burned in a magical fire caused by a naughty little girl taking things from my stores and who fled after knocking over some of my more dangerous stores" said Severus. "But what I want to know is why you say 'too'. Who has hexed you so terribly?"

Melody went white.

"I – I can't say, sir, I promised…I promised!"

Severus turned up the child's chin.

"That seems to me a quite wicked promise to extract from a child" he said. "If it was something like the work of a juvenile sibling who did not know what they were doing it can be forgiven; but you should not be blackmailed into silence. I am going to use legilimensy on you: because you want me to know, don't you, as your house master, even if you are a good girl to keep a promise?"

Melody nodded.

Severus read the incident.

"I see" he said "Your parents fight so viciously that they hurl spells and curses at each other, regardless of whether you or your sister are in the room; and you were caught between them and were burned by a curse near enough to being dark magic that the scars never heal."

Melody hung her head.

"My dear child!" Severus put an arm around her "What are you ashamed of?"

"I feel disloyal" she muttered "Because I hate them and I'm glad you know and I wish I knew that Harmony – my sister – was safe and I don't know if I want more to see her in the holidays or not to ever go home again if I could only stay here. It – it's so nice to feel safe!"

"My parents fought constantly" said Severus "My father, a muggle, used to hit my mother; she would jinx him. I came to Hogwarts knowing more curses than any other kid thanks to her. They were from different worlds; they had some excuse. I cannot see that your parents have any. I was glad to escape mine too."

"You were sir?" he face blazed.

"I was" said Severus "And I don't think that people who let their children get hurt in their own puerile squabbles deserve to have children. I fully intend to obtain a Wizgamot order to remove your sister here to safety. I have children and wards here; she can grow up with them until she is old enough to come to school."

Self sufficient, disdainful and undemonstrative Melody threw her arms around her house master and hugged him with all her might, sobbing.

It would take a little while for the order to come through; but not, Severus thought, that long; not when a child was in danger. His testimony as a legilimens – and his status as Bloodbonded – would give a quick hearing. An Auror came to speak to Melody and the legal machinery started to grind.

That was two Slytherin girls sorted out.

If only all were as easy.

oOoOo

Krait was busy working her first years through the forgetfulness potion when she paused suddenly.

"Miss Delgardy" she said softly and dangerously "Are you using a self-stirring cauldron there?"

Lorraine Delgardy tossed her head.

"Yes, what of it?"

"I beg your pardon?" Krait's voice was still soft.

"I said what of it?"

"Don't you think that in addition to so rude a way of putting it you have forgotten something?" Krait's voice slid into the sibilant.

"Uhh…no."

"No? You do not expect to address your Professors with any type of honorific like 'sir' or 'ma'am' or 'professor' when you are being asked question? Well, I must say I never noticed that you had suddenly become a member of staff to be quite so lax, not that any other staff members would address me in so rude a fashion" Krait was definitely hissing by this time. "You admit to an illegal cauldron; have you any excuse for its use before I set discipline for your rudeness?"

"Well why shouldn't I have a self-stirring cauldron? My parents are rich enough, they're not paupers like the Barnetts or virtually sub-human like Strong's squib of a mother."

The girl gave a squeak as she dangled in mid air transformed into a woodlouse.

"That was for the bloodsnob comment" said Krait. "As to why you should not, well your parents' wealth is neither here nor there. The equipment is not permitted. That is a school rule. Quite apart from the fact that you are here to learn, not leave things to labour saving devices, you also need to learn how to stir by hand before you can set a self stirring cauldron to work, because you need to have seen what effect should occur. Some self stirrers need to be set at a different number of stirs to doing it manually and only experience will tell you whether your cauldron is efficient or not. I explain this for the edification of the rest of the class also; self stirrers are NOT reliable and whilst they're fine for simple cough remedies or the stew you plan to eat after a day out having left the cauldron on, no serious potioneer ever uses them, especially for the more intricate potions. But the main point is, they are banned. I shall be sending a stiff note to your parents since they should never have bought you such a thing; they will have to replace your cauldron. You can use a school cauldron in the meantime; and we shall just make sure you don't use this again" she stared into the offending cauldron "And with all your posh equipment you couldn't make a forgetfulness potion if you tried by the look of it….the colour is completely wrong. _Evanesco!"_ she said, emptying the cauldron. She frowned faintly, concentrating; and the cauldron grew a head, turned pink, and started to oink loudly as it became a half grown pig. "Mr Prince, Miss Trumball, pray take Miss Delgardy's pig to Hagrid to be cared for; as I see you have finished your potionsand they appear perfectly adequate."

Callum and Alice hastily took the pig away, trying not to laugh.

Krait inspected the rest of the potions and graded them.

She sighed at Dell's attempts.

"Well, you are good at Quidditch, Mr Dell, and we can't all be good at everything" she said. "You work hard; I can't fault that you work hard. Try to continue in that vein and do not become disheartened. Remember that Neville Longbottom only stopped blowing up cauldrons in the fourth year and finally developed into a useful if not talented potioneer."

"Thanks, ma'am" said Dell, who had been wondering whether to just muck about as he could not seem to make potions work.

"Well, I can give a pass to Mr Prince, Miss Trumball, Mr Locke" – another Gryffindor – "Mr Davenport, Mr Barnett, whose father may not be as rich as Mr Delgardy but who at least has produced an offspring of most excellent potioneering talents and a hard worker at that, and Mr Delcourt" the last she named being a Ravenclaw. "The rest of you I fear have come up with a potion that is more forgettable than of forgetfulness save the few of you whose efforts I only wish I might be able to forget. Miss Wilder and Mr Garnett" - another Gryffindor boy – "I think you had better wash your potions down the toilet quickly and try not to inhale. I believe you have produced something so unbelievably awful they almost constitute banned substances of the dark magic kind. Mr Dell, yours is on fire, deal with it please."

Dell hastily smothered his cauldron while Theophilus Garnett looked rueful and Marianne Wilder frustrated and angry. Krait sighed.

"And I offer the pair of you the same advice I gave Dell" she said. "Persevere; it can't hurt. You don't usually start making potions that can fire cauldrons into the ceiling until the third year anyway, and then you'll be with Professor Snape so I shan't have to worry."

There was general laughter at that sally.

"And now, Miss Delgardy" said Krait "I wonder if you are ready to apologise?"

Lorraine Delgardy fell into her seat in her normal form.

"I haven't anything to apologise for!" she shrieked "You didn't ought to turn people into unnatural things!"

"Item; woodlice are perfectly natural beasts" said Krait calmly. "Item; you have your intolerable rudeness to me to apologise for; and your rudeness to Miss Strong and Mr Barnett. Item; 'didn't ought' is the most appallingly bad grammar and shows what an ill educated little girl you are with the grammatical ability of a guttersnipe. You have blatantly ignored school rules, you are ill mannered and disrespectful and you are now pulling a sneer that makes you look about four years old. I think you need a little lesson in humility beyond even that of spending time as a woodlouse; I think you may return to me this evening to help gut the horned toads of which we have just taken delivery. I guarantee that you will not enjoy the experience."

"Suppose I don't come?" said Delgardy.

There was a collective gasp.

"Then I fancy you'll be very unhappy indeed" said Krait "Since there is a tacit agreement between staff and students that the former are given the respect they have earned; and that the latter have certain privileges in return for their co-operation. Apart from having you fetched every evening from now until the half term weekend by house elves because such rudeness to me will necessitate more punishment, you will find it unpleasant to go without puddings while others eat theirs until you apologise abjectly, and to wash in cold water every morning, and to receive a howler from me weekly. It is a simple matter to ask the house elves to take away from you any sweet you try to obtain from others should you resort to bullying when you are not served any; and an easy charm on the taps to recognise you and refuse to heat the water. None of these things will cause you any harm but they will make your life unpleasant. But it's your choice; I'll see you in detention or not. And you will also now write me one hundred times in your best writing 'I shall endeavour to act according to my age not my shoe size with regards to both my verbal utterances and my facial contortions. Class dismissed."

It was generally reckoned that Delgardy deserved everything she had got herself; though the length and complexity of her lines made several people wince!

None of them ever knew how furious Krait had been and how close she had come to transfiguring herself to frighten the girl.

"You have had the patience of a SAINT to teach first years all these years!" she declared to Severus.

"At last! Recognition!" he grinned.

He was in a good mood; notice had arrived from the Wizgamot that he would be allowed to remove small Harmony Bloom from her parents, and should consider Melody as his ward.

They would be safe.

And Severus remembered their parents from his own schooldays and was able to cast up any number of peccadilloes in their faces as well as threatening them with severe legal action for their child abuse if they protested his right to take the child.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N My deepest apologies that I put up the wrong chapter from the wrong story yesterday; it's now been rectified. The wrong chapter was, for those of you who do not read my Dragonriders of Pern stories, from Chronicles of High Reaches which I am putting up at the same time... mea culpa. Chapter 4 as it should be is now in place. Anyone who found the Pernese chapter interesting and want to know more would get more sense out of it starting with Dragonchoice, which is my first story. People ride dragons and save the world..._

**Chapter 5**

Harmony Bloom was a quiet, introverted child some two years younger than her sister, and the same age as Jade. Krait and Severus promptly placed her in Jade's care; their own adopted daughter would soon help to bring the little girl out, having known an abusive parent herself. She had gone with Severus half in terror, half in relief to be away; and the relief won when he told her she was to be with her sister and safe, and the little girl had sobbed in his arms.

Melody was delighted that she and her sister were now safe; and blossomed into a much more outgoing child herself!

Meanwhile young Lorraine Delgardy had had the wisdom to turn up for her detention; and if her lines were handed in after being scrawled rather hurriedly, they too were handed in. It was a defiance to write so badly however; so Krait raised an eyebrow and commented mildly,

"Dear me, it is a shame that someone with such wealthy parents could not afford an education in the basics. If this is your best handwriting, I'd hate to see your worst…SUCH an illiterate scrawl. One might expect such from the unfortunates of Obscura Alley and its darker environs but….well, well, perhaps not a good idea to speculate where you parents came by their wealth with the number of jobs available for crime lords that have been so rife under the curse of Tom Riddle."

Delgardy flushed but could scarcely confess to having dashed off the lines with little care to their legibility! She resented Krait's implications that her parents had become rich through criminal activity; but there was little she might do about the slur without opening herself to further punishment. That Krait might respect her more for confessing to her own deficiencies to stand up for her family did not occur to the child.

Gutting toads was a slimy, cold, unpleasant business; and Delgardy did not care two hoots about what the parts were used for and took the instructive discourse Krait gave her on what parts were used in which potions as merely more of the punishment. Krait meant it as a kindness to alleviate the tedium, to give the girl a chance to reach out by asking questions.

Her intent failed utterly.

If Lorraine Delgardy had faintly despised Madam Malfoy before for her fairness to non Slytherin and especially muggleborn and goblins, she fairly loathed her now. She also faintly feared her, the more because Krait did not raise her voice when threatening such awful punishments as the loss of puddings for the rest of…maybe her school life even!

Krait was disappointed, but mentally shrugged. Some people you just could not help.

oOoOo

Krait left the Potions' Dungeon somewhat later than she released young Lorraine; the toads had to be finished after all, but the detention did not warrant a two hour stint in Krait's opinion. She came upon Lionel Dell and Marianne Wilder in a stand up shouting match over reasonable behaviour towards House Elves. One of the castle elves stood there in a Hogwarts tea-towel looking hangdog but regarding Dell with thoughtful malice.

"Brawling in the corridors?" said Krait "Well, at least neither of you got your wands out…quite. Mr Dell, have you been pushing the house elves around? Because if you have, I dare say they'll let you know all about it, they are none of your concern. Miss Wilder, you can help me carry my books and that will separate the both of you nicely, Mr Dell you may mop up the mess in this corridor of whatever you caused this elf to drop, no wand work of course. Er, Twinks will show you the cleaning cupboard."

The house elf's face lit up at having her name remembered.

"Miss Krait knows Twinks' name!" she beamed.

"I also know you have been kind to poor Winky" said Krait "and that is appreciated, for she's a sleekit wee creature, as they say around here."

"Winky is a disgrace" squeaked Twinks "Always drunk she is! But her family didn't do right by her!"

"No they didn't" said Krait "But you can't help someone until they hit rock bottom and realise they need help; only when she realises that she is a disgrace and wants to change can we address her alcohol problem. You can help by being cheerful towards her and telling her she CAN reinstate herself in the eyes of others, and be a good free elf like Dobby and Sirri and her family."

"Winky is bad about Sirri, she says she have ideas above her station and her daughter didn't ought to act like a human… we castle elves isn't sure what to think" said Twinks.

"Elves should be free to make their own choices; but those of us who believe that, also recognise that most of you find freedom too frightening to contemplate and do not want to be forced into it; since too many wizards have used freeing elves as a punishment, as Barty Crouch Senior did to Winky" said Krait "But all your children will be free and taught how to handle freedom; and in due course will be eligible, if talented enough, to come to Hogwarts as students."

"Servants brats at school with decent folk?" burst out Dell "That's disgusting!"

"Surely the top schooling should be for the top students?" said Krait. "If I judged you on performance I'd be somewhat dubious of your place here in terms of potions; though I presume your record elsewhere is better. And you may still improve in my class, I never give up hope. Young Mimi already surpasses most of you first years in potion making and she's only seven years old and joining in to help in the way small children do. I judge on individuals not on race or blood status, my lad; and I do remind you that those who were bloodsnobs of the kind that supported Voldemort were unaware that he was in fact a half blood. His father was a muggle, and I don't even mean muggleborn.

"How do you know for certain, Ma'am? Might that not be propaganda of those who opposed him? I – I mean, I know you're part of the Bloodpact and fought, but….they might have lied."

Krait fixed him with an unwontedly steely eye.

"I will impart the information of how I know because I think it is important that any rumour of propaganda should be quoshed" she said. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, self styled Lord Voldemort, was my father. My mother was a half-blood Malfoy whom he used and abandoned. You know I am sure that I and Professor Snape and Lucius and Draco Malfoy pretended to be Deatheaters to both gain knowledge and to make suggestions to keep his excesses to the minimum while Harry destroyed the hidden lives that Riddle made in his inefficient and unpleasant bid for immortality. I will NOT tell you what they are called; such information is not available until NEWT level DADA. I have delved every portion of my ancestry to understand my loathsome parent in order to better overthrow him. I would that I might discard him from my heritage; but he too is in descent of Salazar Slytherin and like it or no he sired me. Does that satisfy you?"

"Oh Y-YES Ma'am!" stammered Dell.

"Good, get on with the cleaning, and expect to find your favourite sweets whisked away for as many days as the house elves deem suitable for punishing you for anything you said or did" said Krait. "Apologise to Twinks and she may let you off."

Dell was to proud to apologise to a lesser being as yet; he needed a lot of work. But Krait could find some honour in him in accepting punishment rather than compromise his ideals, even if they did need modifying!

"Will they really punish him?" Marianne asked as she walked along carrying Krait's books.

"Oh yes, the castle elves don't take any er, rubbish from anyone" said Krait "They know they have the backing of the headmaster. Of course, even if they were paid servants it is the height of ill breeding to interfere with the servants anyway, as someone of high blood status ought to realise, only the level of training in noblesse oblige and how to be a gentleman has been slipping in recent generations, and got fully eroded by my vulgar and contumelious parent. And before you spout all indignant about the castle elves being slaves, as I said to Twinks, that is because most of them fear freedom. You should ask your parents to tell you about people who have become institutionalised, perhaps visit a very regulated old folks' home or read some case studies of orphanages where the whistle has been blown on abuses. I was brought up in such an orphanage and I was trained to respond to a whipping by kneeling and saying 'thank you for the correction hail Mary full of grace'. It's not so very different; only elves have had it bred into them for generation upon generation. The fight is not to free house elves, but to teach house elves to want to be free. Dobby, one of our free elves, almost wore himself out cleaning Gryffindor Tower because none of the other elves would go in there when Hermione Granger, in well-meaning foolishness was busy leaving knitted hats about for them to find. They felt insulted; elves are freed as punishment in the minds of most elves. Having the four I pay – parents and two younger one, and of course Sirri's children – around, proud to be free and in livery and not in disgrace has helped even more than Dobby's freedom, but you heard that Twinks says they are not sure whether to be shocked that Mimi plays as an equal with human children her age. You remind me a lot of Hermione when she was younger, before she learned that thinking something is right is not always an immediately attainable goal. I believe you tried to liberate – to your mind – Moslem girls. If you did anything as rash as pulling off their headdresses – especially if boys were present, what you did was condemn them to punishment and maybe even being disowned by their families because they had been made immodest. There are plenty of enlightened Moslems as there are enlightened Catholics. But you did them more harm than good if you did do such. And by the way, you might also, together with all your family, have gone on someone's death list. Rabid fundamentalists of any faith are not rational beings."

Marianne went white.

"I – I never meant them to be hurt!" she said. "Do you really think my parents are in danger?"

"Hermione never meant to terrify house elves" said Krait "This is why I adjure you to think before you speak or act; and to research your subject thoroughly. As to your parents, I think it will be an easy matter to put up a specifically tailored repelling charm to each of them so they cannot even be approached. I will see to it if you like."

"Th-thank you Madam Malfoy… I think I may have misjudged you."

"Well, I hope we understand each other a bit better now" said Krait "Thank you for carrying my books; run along and try to stay out of trouble. Maybe you'll have more success at that than Hermione did, hmm?"

oOoOo

A direct result of the Quidditch match manifested itself in the arrival of a new boy who had asked to transfer away from Durmstrang to Hogwarts, impressed as he had been by the fair play shown, including the aid healing an opponent's seeker.

Vadim Milos was hatted into Gryffindor and was welcomed cheerfully. He was definitely drawn closer into the muggle studies members' group when he was seen to be taken aback at the presence of Goblind but proceeded to treat them with as much courtesy as he showed everyone else, kissing Ellie's and Garjala's hands as he did the hands of the other girls.

Callum chatted to him as another redhead – Vadim having titian hair and grey eyes – and learned that the boy was the only son of prominent Romanian parents who had taught him that the Dark Arts degraded wizard kind. His mother had been to a small private school for witches run by an English witch called Miss Cackle, and his father had endured Durmstrang, which had indeed strengthened his own ideas; and had assumed all large schools were much alike. That Hogwarts was different was a revelation and Vadim had written home and begged to transfer.

That Hogwarts was truly different was a shock to the boy, who had never even met a goblin socially, nor yet a muggleborn witch or wizard, such being excluded from Durmstrang.

"Surely those who have attained some level of power by accident of heritage cannot be as good?" he asked.

He was shouted down.

"Our head of house is muggle born and Hermione Granger is the cleverest witch of her age!" Grace Snape said angrily.

Vadim held up his hands.

"My apologies; I meant no disrespect" he said "I can only ask questions to obtain enlightenment, as I know only what I or my father and mother have been told."

Supporters of Hermione were pacified; his racism was casual and uninformed but he seemed ready to become informed. Erich Snape took the younger boy under his wing, having suffered from spending time at Durmstrang himself; and soon Vadim was one of the crowd, readily entertaining people by playing the violin – which he did very well – and telling stories of the family ghost, Impaled Igor, who had once run afoul of Vlad Dracul, called the Impaler for very good reason.

"He is not to be confused with Count Drakula, the Vampire" said Vadim "Though they are related. It is one reason my family are traditionally part of the regulatory body controlling Vampire activity."

He was generally reckoned to be a most romantic boy by most of the girls; and a decent enough type not to be despised for being a romantic sort of boy by the boys.

Having been taken to the MSHG, Vadim was among those invited to break bounds to partake in Tamsin Clintock's birthday feast that she planned to hold in the attics at midnight.

Any adults in the MSHG who heard the planning pretended not to have done but to have bottles of anti-indigestion potion on hand.

As it was, the goodies sent by the Clintocks were delicious without being too indigestible; and a good time was had by all, and if the party minded were a little dull in class next morning, it was a traditional part of school life. Besides, the staff had more on their plate to worry about than dull sleepy children; since a Jarvey had managed to get in and was busy singing bad rhymes of insult. Seeing several children with pale blonde hair, the creature sang,

"A Malfoy who thought he was smart

Said 'I think I'll set light to a fart'

The resultant explosion

Caused quite a commotion

And tore the young Malfoy apart!"

Peeves swooped down

"Yah, smelly socks to you, you stupid creature!" he said "You can't insult them like what I can! Abraxus loooves Myrtle yah!"

Abraxus made a quick check for teachers and twitched his wand.

"_Langlock!_" he said, targeting both.

Both jarvey and Peeves half split themselves open trying to insult people round their swollen tongues.

"Well, not as bad as the portrait of Meriadoc Pevsner thinking that we were all from the ministry and throwing fruit from the not-very-still life painting" said Hawke, who had been hit by a banana that he claimed was an anachronism stolen from a more modern painting.

Professor McGonagall was fortunately quite equal to evicting a jarvey and proceeded to do so in short order ignoring muffled references to Scottish hags.

It was all part of the Hogwarts daily round.

Personality clashes were also a part of the daily round; as they must be at every school as in every organisation.

Lorraine Delgardy had decided that Alice Trumball and Gabrielle Delacourt must be related to Madam Malfoy; and she objected to Garjala on general principles as well as the goblin girl being friendly with Gabrielle. She persuaded the other two Slytherin who were poor at potions to take out their frustrations on those she perceived as her enemies and teacher's pets; and if Lionel Dell was indifferent to Alice and Gabrielle he did object to Goblins at Hogwarts and so agreed. The other boy, named Albert Jackman was racist enough to please any deatheater and happily went after halfbreed Malfoys who degraded a pureblood family.

It was the misfortune of the plotters that not only were their intended victims luminaries of the MSHG and quite capable of casting its signature spell '_Expelliarmus' _to disarm them but that they were joined by Vadim, who thought Gabrielle the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and he used a spell devised by his father to discommode vampires.

"_Linguangorgio!"_ he cried.

It was more then the _langlock_ spell that glued the tongue to the roof of the mouth; for it caused the tongue to enlarge grossly. As Vadim explained to three admiring little girls it meant that a vampire's teeth were smothered in his own tongue rendering them inoperative.

It was not comfortable for humans either.

oOoOo

The firsts were kept busy later that week too; Ed Dinalt and friends sent flying paper birds as a warning with a challenge written upon it; and as the firsts set up such magical wards as they knew and got their wands ready, the seconds blew open the classroom window with _alohamora_ from brooms and hurled in non-magical water bombs.

"It keeps them on their toes" said Ed, with a wide eyed ingenuous look when later interviewed about the incident by Professor McGonagall.

"Weel, it was a lovely bit of broom work from the lot of ye, and some nice paper folding, both for the birds and the bombs; but ye'll still all be writing me an essay on the proper uses of origami" said McGonagall.

Ed grinned cheerfully.

He was already planning to write about the uses of water bombs as delivery systems for potions to use against dark wizards.

oOoOo

The water bombs were to come in useful when Ed woke up smelling smoke, and tracked it to its source in a flue in a room used solely to store paper and books. Somehow a pile of paper had become dislodged and had caught light from a small fire in the grate. Ed had a couple of bombs unfilled in his dressing-gown pocket and muttered '_Aqua'_ to himself to fill them and threw them with hard accuracy.

Severus arrived behind him and had a more effective treatment.

"_Aguamenti_" he conjured a stream of water from the end of his wand. "Mr Dinalt, is this your doing?"

"No sir" said Ed with the confidence of perfect truth. "I say, that's a useful spell, and almost as good for dowsing first years!"

"Leave your nefarious practices out of this" said Severus. "Go and pick up Mrs Norris; she seems to have got frightened into cowering in the corner there."

Ed duly retrieved Argus Filch's cat; in time for the caretaker to arrive.

"Caught the culprit who was fire talking have you, Professor?" said Filch.

"Alas, no" said Severus "Merely a well meaning but ineffective brat; Mrs Norris is happy in his arms, would she be of one who set a fire that scared her?"

"Ar, well" said Filch "I dare say you'll run the miscreant to earth, Professor."

"It was me" Lionel Dell was white faced but determined "I didn't see that Mrs Norris was trapped or I'd not have left her, Mr Filch. I wouldn't hurt an animal."

"Only goblins and house elves and muggles, eh?" said Ed "Like the Nazis; they were the first muggles to have laws on animal rights, David says, but untermenschen came below animals."

"I don't know anything about that" said Dell sulkily "I wouldn't hurt a squib's cat, or any animal for that matter, though that blasted ferret of –of Garjala is trying to make itself an exception."

"Griphook is plain evil" said Ed with feeling, for Garjala had named her ferret after the goblin tram operator at Gringott's bank.

"And WHY were you lighting a fire Dell?" demanded Severus. Dell hung his head.

"I wanted to firetalk with my father" he muttered. "And I ran away when I saw Mrs Norris. I thought it would just go out."

"You may write for me six inches on the effect of draught on flame" said Severus "And apologise to Mrs Norris now; and in the morning you can tell me what was so vital to talk to your father about. Oh and by the way, was it you who has been in the potions dungeon and spilled some of my supplies?"

"No sir" said Dell.

Severus gazed into his eyes; and nodded.

"Very well; you've owned up to this and I give you credit for that" he said. "Now get back to bed!"

oOoOo

It came out in interview next day – an uncomfortable interview for Dell – that he wanted to ask his father's opinion and advice about having a goblin in the class.

"I see" said Severus. "I suggest that if you feel that the policy of Hogwarts in awarding places to those worthy of taking them regardless of their birth or race is not in keeping with your own inflated sense of self worth that you write to your father and ask him to transfer you to Durmstrang where goblins are never likely to be educated. There's a space there after all as Mr Milos preferred our policies."

Dell said nothing.

He had a feeling that the policy on bullying at Durmstrang was not as strict as here and that he was more likely to be bullied than able to push others around.

oOoOo

Once it was known that Professor Snape was on the warpath about supplies used and spilled in the dungeon, Severus received a small visitor.

It was Ralph Davenport.

"Please, sir, it was me in the dungeon" he said in a small scared voice "I didn't mean any harm!"

"Indeed? And what DID you mean?" demanded Severus.

"Please sir, I wanted to practise" said the younger Davenport.

Severus' eyes bored into his, using legilimensy on what seemed a rather unlikely explanation.

It was true.

Ralph Davenport was not especially good at many lessons save potions; and so he wanted to shine at what he was good at.

"You little idiot" said Severus "Not only could you have harmed yourself by knocking into something about which you know nothing – standing on a chair as you must have done to reach some of those things – but you could have put the whole castle in danger! Do you know how I got these scars?" he pointed to the livid burns down his face.

Ralph shook his head.

"I thought it was when you were fighting Voldemort sir" he said.

"No; it was when I was fighting a magical fire that gave off fumes noxious enough to have poisoned everyone in the castle had I not smothered them quickly" said Severus "Caused by a silly little girl who knocked over a jar and fled the consequences. She was subsequently expelled."

Ralph gasped, went white and swayed in shock.

Severus put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"She wasn't expelled for that prank – for in her case it was a prank to cause trouble not the almost laudable attempt to improve. But she would not own up though it had almost killed me and made Madam Malfoy go into premature labour with her first child; and the school was assured that if the culprit owned up it would be treated as a prank only. She was caught interfering yet again in my supplies to get something to discommode a rival of hers. THAT is why she was expelled. I can't fault your zeal, lad; but I do NOT approve of your methods. You will write me six inches on the number of ways a lone child in the potions dungeon could manage to hurt himself, from falling off a chair to picking the wrong jar and poisoning himself. And I suggest you join the MSHG where your wand work will be improved and you will learn a lot of things not covered in the school syllabus. You will get to do extra cauldron work there too if you wish, and will get advice and help from well established potioneers. Me included" he added "And Madam Malfoy. We are informal in the club and are willing to talk through any problem, academic, social or personal. You'll enjoy it" he said "And perhaps you may even get your brother to join. I think it would be good for him, but nobody can be forced to join."

"It's not a punishment so you can keep an eye on me?"

Severus laughed.

"It's an invitation almost more in the way of a reward for zeal – albeit misplaced zeal" he said. "Believe me, it will give you friends that will endure beyond school and will help you in more things than schoolwork."

"Thanks sir; I will" said Ralph.

The members of the MSHG always seemed to have a lot of fun after all, even if they did get up at an unreasonably early hour!

oOoOo

The members of the MSHG who had the most fun – or at least got into the most trouble – were the new Marauders, who were inspired by the second years' water bombs to hold the great flour balloon jape in the great hall with the suits of armour charmed to play Handel's firework music in accompaniment to exploding gouts of flour, some of it magically coloured.

When the rumpus had subsided, Madam McGonagall stood up, negigently wafting flour from herself with a shake of the wand.

"Very artistic" she said "And now perhaps the artists would like to clear up – WITHOUT wands if you please."

The Marauders got up grinning and took the punishment without complaint.

One paid for one's fun.

"I should like to point out to the New Marauders a small point that they, not having studied muggle chemistry, might have missed" said Krait "Which is that any finely divided powder can explode if it is in a dense enough cloud; especially with naked flames like the candles here. I extinguished one flame that came close to causing an explosion; pray have some thought another time and go and research explosives for me. I can't be bothered to read your illegible scrawl on the subject since Miss Prince's hand at least looks like a spider had an epileptic fit in an inkpot; but I shall examine you verbally on the subject before school next Friday."

"Flour can explode? Cool!" said Hawke.

"Why do you think flour mills always had wooden cogs not metal ones that could cause a spark?" said Krait. "And it's not cool, Mr Malfoy, to blow up the entire of Hogwarts ending whole families with a single er blow. Who died and made you Guy Fawkes?"

Hawke grinned apologetically; and bent again to sweeping.

It would do no harm for them to learn about explosives as a MSHG project anyway; you never knew when such things might come in useful!

All was grist to the mills of the Marauders!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was heading for the end of term, and its attendant Yule Ball; and the school was a mix of excitement and high feelings over end of term exams.

Peeves was in a filthy mood too, since Bil Prince who had shouted a poem at him that had hurt his feelings. It went,

"I know a little poltergeist

He's really very boring

He thinks up lots of jokes and japes

That really set me snoring.

He thinks that he is clever

It's really very sad

He isn't even very good

At being very bad."

Peeves had resorted to dropping water bombs on people to try to regain his reputation and had retired in a huff when Bil's half brother Ed called him a copycat.

It made life delightfully quiet.

The Merry Monks in the painting on the stairs did make up for Peeves' sulks somewhat; they had removed the grapes from a still life and were singing under the influence of their newly pressed wine. Strains of 'non nobis [hic]mine, Domin[hic] hic; haec; hoc' might be heard drifting down the stairs at all hours.

Those pupils who were normally not trouble seemed to develop an imp of mischief as the festive season crept on; and those who were normally troublesome seemed to become more so. Lorraine Delgardy, holding forth about something, being an even more officious child in her own way even than Marianne Wilder, managed to break her wand by banging it on the table to emphasise a point; and was in an unbearably bad temper for several days before her parents forwarded her a new one because she had been laughed at both over the breaking and over the odd results she got from it until the new one arrived. Delgardy could not take laughter! She crowed over the new wand and reminded people how her parents could readily replace anything she needed; and was foolish enough to leave the old wand lying about.

Peeves thought it a godsend; and taped the broken wand up to attempt to cast a spell of magically bursting water bubbles over Bil's head.

Peeves had not noticed the strange effects the wand had been giving; and was disconcerted when bubbles of water started emerging from his own mouth, making him choke and gurgle horribly. Bil laughed; then stopped abruptly seeing him in real distress.

"Poor Peeves!" she said '_Negatus!"_ I hope that'll work….is that better?"

The bubbles stopped.

"Ta" said Peeves, a little sulkily.

"Y'welcome" said Bil "I'd burn Delgardy's wand if I were you; it's not safe."

"She didn't ought to leave it around for people to find" said Peeves.

"Oh there's plenty Delgardy ought not to do" said Bil cheerfully "She's a pain."

It was a careless throwaway comment; but Peeves was convinced that Bil had saved his life from Delgardy's wand – which she might indeed have done – and proceeded to throw his best attentions against the first year.

As it distracted both her and Peeves from interfering with others, nobody else cared much.

oOoOo

The racist spirit had not by any means died with Voldemort; David found Hagrid most upset to have found rude and defamatory sayings scrawled on the wall of his hut, calling half giants stupid and unwashed who did not ought to associate with decent humans.

David 'went dog' to sniff out the area beneath the scrawl; and set off tracking. Whilst it might have been Peeves, David doubted it as being expressed in too literary a style. Besides, Peeves was no racist; he hated everyone equally like the first year Slytherin Tycho Salaman claimed to do. Tycho, irritated by Dell, Delgardy and Jackman, had turned up at the MSHG and demanded to be told that life was more amusing than the dour fools in the Slytherin common room made out. He bid fair to copy Severus and his 'Snapisms' in snide comment. David was not sure if he liked the boy or not; but he was no racist either.

It was no surprise that David tracked the scent to the feet of Albert Jackman.

"Wha – what's that dog doing here?" said Jackman as David growled at him.

David was not bound by the traditional etiquette of changing only out of sight of people, any more than Krait was; and resumed his everyday shape to tower over the younger boy.

"Oh shit it's mad-dog Fraser" said Porteous, a boy of the same age as the New Marauders.

"Indeed it is" said David "And YOU Mr Jackman are in deeeep trouble. You are going to come along and scrub off your filthy calumnies from Hagrid's hut right now."

"You can't make me" said Jackman "You're not even a prefect!"

"Y'wanna bet?" said David. "Reckon if I got back into dog form and started nipping your ankles you'll soon do as I say; and you and your friends can't even complain because you believe in might makes right and I'm mightier than you!" his scar blazed white and tight on his forehead;and Jackman gave it an anxious look.

Pissing off someone who had faced out Voldemort, whether they were a prefect or no, was possibly not a good idea.

The foul imputations were soon scrubbed away.

oOoOo

It was a busy week for David; Hagrid was too preoccupied to even be more than pleased in passing that the writing was gone.

"There's redcaps on the move" he said "I seen a dropped cap when I was out hunting for the Yule feasting."

"They're readily repelled by charms aren't they?" said David "surely they won't trouble us?"

"Ar, it were Camburnath I were thinking of" said Hagrid "Full o' muggles."

"Red Caps are dark creatures…aren't they also the fey?" asked David.

"Yes they do be…but they ain't afeared o' baptised folk like some o' the fey" said Hagrid.

"I'll ask Hermione if she has any ideas" said David "We may – or adult people may – have to put up warding spells."

"I were thinking of asking Sirius" aid Hagrid.

"Best idea" said David "I'll send him down, shall I?" he reached out in his blood to his mentor animagus.

"Ar, that'll be best" said Hagrid.

Hagrid's umbrella was not up to complex warding charms after all.

Sirius quickly set up a circle of protection for Camburnath; reinforcing it with the chanting he had not been too proud to learn from Severus.

"And let's hope they're an isolated group" he said grimly when he reported to the MSHG "Redcaps in force are indicative of much bloodshed to come; it's as if they can almost smell blood in the future for they forgather before battles take place. Or they go as outriders with the Unseelie Court."

"What's that?" asked David.

Hermione answered.

"The Unseelie Court, or as they might be descibed in language more familiar to us the Unseemly Court, are those fey or sidhe who are evil or at best uncaring and callous. Some are beautiful – in part at least, but may have tails or cloven hooves. They are unable to maintain a substantial form without blood sacrifice from a willing or unwilling victim at regular intervals, which led to the muggle legend of the teind or tithe to hell. It's more a tithe to nature to permit them to exist. They constitute the Wild Hunt which travels the land looking for new blood to raise as their own – anyone with fey blood for example – and for sacrifices. Those who eat at their tables or who join their dance are deemed to have volunteered, and are confunded by fey magic. Dementors were originally part of the wild hunt. The Daone Sidhe or Highfey constitute their nobility; lowfey are more akin to house elves or maybe goblins."

"That brings it home" said Krait "Where do you find this stuff, Hermie?"

"History of Hogwarts" said Hermione "In 1703, Hogwarts fielded an all-house team of quidditch players and challenged the wild hunt to a match with the stake being the lives of a village of muggles with Fey blood; and I think it was probably Camburnath at that. I remembered seeing something about an all house team when we were first challenged by Durmstrang and Beauxbatons and I looked it up."

"We don't hardly need a library while we have Hermione" said Krait "She's a walking wizarding Wikipedia. I vaguely remember reading stories about faery folk needing muggles on the team to play hurley; they play quidditch too then I see."

Hermione flushed lightly, not sure if Krait was truly complimenting her or teasing her slightly or both. She came to the conclusion, Krait being Krait, it was both; and just answered the question.

"They played hurley before quidditch was invented; it's tremendously old. The tradition was that there should be a muggle on each team. But quidditch is a way of dealing with them because they won't pass up a wager."

"I love the way she always sounds so disapproving when she says a word like 'wager' grinned Draco.

"Betting is such a mug's game" said Hermione.

"Granted; but hurrah for Hogwarts making such a wager to protect muggles that early" said Krait.

"Hah, I expect it was just one of my ancestors being head of quidditch at the time protecting his boffing rights amongst the milkmaids there" said Draco lazily.

"With anyone else that would almost be a cliché" said Krait. "Well, people, let's all go and look up redcaps and stay alert."

"Your country needs lerts" added Ron.

Krait poked him.

oOoOo

It was to be David's first Yule Ball; but there was no question about who he would be taking.

It would be Ellie of course.

She had got a formal gown in time because David had known he was going to ask her when they were in Diagon Alley. Ellie's parents were not particularly well off, any more than David's gran was; so gran had been sewing and Ellie had also joined Krait's after school sewing lessons to cheer up secondhand gowns. Siona Barnett was as happy as a pig in mud – Kinat's description – with the alterations to her old gown and Ellie felt herself well satisfied with her own.

One of the people who was most nervous about the Ball was Abigail Greengrasse, who was out of her age group and who had been working too hard to catch up that she had not done much socialising outside of the MSHG.

"Go with me, Abigail?" suggested Neville "I went with Krait last year; I'm not looking for romance yet, but you're sort of almost as much family as the Blood Group in a way."

Abigail smiled.

"Thanks, Neville, I'd like to" she said "I feel very much an outsider. The girls I'm with are all such children; not just because I'm older but because I've seen and done things they couldn't imagine. I – I feel closer to –to Professor MOODY than to the kids."

"Alastor's a good chap" said Neville "I guess you could take him if you preferred."

Abigail laughed.

"I think he'd wonder what my motives were and think I was after something" she said. "You're right though; I can talk to him, he doesn't laugh at me feeling suspicious of a lot of people's motives. I trust Krait and you lot, but I guess I took a bit of a knock to my ability to trust anyone much else. Especially as my parents have virtually disowned me."

"Huh, in adversity you find out who your real friends are" said Neville. "well, that's settled; two shy people dancing together so we don't have to talk to anyone else."

oOoOo

Naturally some of the older Slytherin and Ravenclaw girls sought to tease Grace by asking who she hoped to go with now she was old enough this year. That Grace bore the lightning scar and was made much of by the luminaries of the MSHG rankled for those who had found her fair game to tease for being quiet and shy.

"Draco of course" said Grace, who had been asked back in the holidays.

"Silly chit! Do you really think the Hero of Slytherin is going to ask an insignificant stupid girl like you?" sneered Tracey Davis, one of Draco's contemporaries.

"Of course, he did take fat Claire Barrett because he was sorry for her" said Isabelle Yaxley, in Grace's own year. "Reckon he's sorry for you, pathetic?"

"Well, I shouldn't think he'd have to be sorry for ME" said Grace "Reckon he'd be more sorry for you since your father died as a deatheater and you've such a sorry excuse for a personality. But he asked me in the holidays; so I don't THINK he's taking me to the Ball, I know" and she smiled sweetly. Draco had spent a lot of time with her in the holidays; and made it clear that he liked her, and Grace had gained no end of confidence from that!

There was a lot of competition among the girls from the third year up to be invited by those boys who bore the lightning scar, Harry and Draco being seen as the most eligible bachelors, but Neville was glad to have got his own partner sorted out too so he could truthfully say that he was going with someone else when coy girls made eyes at him. Draco and Harry practically had to hide! Even Ron, whose family poverty made some girls hold back, had his share of being pursued, especially by Lavender Brown who seemed to have got over being afraid of a spurious family affliction Krait made up to get rid of her for Ron the previous year. David and Erich were discovering the price of fame too, now they were eligible for the ball; and Erich particularly – as Professor Snape's adoptive son – was pursued by Dione Parnassus and Elisa Mourne, two hard-faced Slytherin of his own age. Erich solved his Ball problem by inviting Bil Prince, who was also a year too young to go by right. Bil was pleased enough to be asked; neither one of them had any real interest in dancing or flirting, so they could turn up and then go looking for eats as any normal person would at a party, as she said.

"Save us some goodies!" said Hawke.

"In your dreams!" replied Bil. "Erich, we can do this again next year unless you get a girlfriend; I can hardly take Sirius after all. And then the Malfoy twins will be the most eligible bachelors running from Mourne and Parnassus and half the third year of the time."

"Oh, Abrax and I are taking each other" said Hawke "I bet him he wouldn't turn up in the sort of frilly pink thing Parkinson always wears; and Abrax never turns down a dare!"

"Mein Gott, but I look forward to seeing that!" laughed Erich who still lapsed into German occasionally.

oOoOo

The lower school – save for those third years who had hopes of attracting an invite – were indifferent to the ball and its attendant heart aches. They were more concerned with end of term exams and results on their first report home. A few tests were disrupted by a plague of pigeons looking to settle on the ruined castle and somehow getting inside where – as David Fraser put it – they proceeded to shit for Scotland. David turned out to help Hagrid cull them and there was pigeon pie for supper.

Predictably, Marianne Wilder fussed herself almost into a fever over her tests; those who remembered Hermione's singleminded academic drive rolled up their eyes and sighed. Hermione, who had made herself more or less responsible for Wilder, took the girl to the potions dungeon – because she felt comfortable there, and it never occurred to her that Wilder might not – and fed her on cocoa and pointed out bluntly, but kindly, that she had herself started performing better in exams when she had balanced hard work revising with leisure.

"An over tired mind performs just as poorly as one that has not been stimulated at all" said Hermione firmly, quoting Krait. "Madam Malfoy taught me how to study; and I think you need someone to teach you. You are academic; as I have always been. But even the most academic mind protests, even as the most athletic body protests if it is over exercised. Even as athletes can damage tendons and muscles so too can you damage your mind by making yourself mentally ill. Will you listen to my rules?"

Marianne Wilder nodded.

"Please" she said.

"Good girl" said Hermione. "First; the brain cannot absorb from intensive study after more than half an hour. So every half an hour, get up, walk about; have a snack or a cup of tea, or go for a walk outside, or do something mindless like two or three rows of knitting, lay out and solve a game of patience or something. You'll come back to your study about ten minutes later fresher. Second; there is NO substitute for study in class and learning as you go along. You'll do yourself more good by reviewing any lesson you found tough at the end of every week's regular study than by trying to cram it all in during revision. Third; revise by other means than merely staring at books; consider a situation and how you would use what you are studying in it. Pick a film, and imagine how the hero would solve situations with spells or potions. Review the spells and potions used. You'll learn them very quickly that way! Only for your level, if you pick 'The Great Escape' considering digging charms and bubble head charms for Charles Bronson would be more appropriate than thinking about enchanting a Portkey; which OUGHT to be beyond you. Actually it ought to be beyond me too, but we picked up a lot of esoteric stuff over the last couple of years" she grinned.

"Thank you Hermione; I'll try" said Marianne. The girl had appreciated that Hermione had explained to her about the Blood Pact, not merely shouted at her; and was ready to try anything the house head suggested. Marianne did not readily hero-worship; but she came close where Hermione was concerned!

oOoOo

Meanwhile Madam McGonagall received some anonymous notes accusing Garjala of cheating on her tests by using goblin made memory aids. Similar notes were posted around near Gryffindor tower; and that they were aimed at discommoding David became obvious when Sirius Black picked one up and was promptly violently sick.

Bil arrived in seconds, using house elf apparation; and Krait and Severus were close behind.

Krait used her wand.

"Meh, someone has soaked the paper in 'dog-away'" she said

"They're notes to irritate Gryffs, I reckon that's aimed at David" said Abrax "He's used dog form against Jackman you know for racist attacks on Hagrid."

"Someone get Garjala so I can clear her with legilimensy" said Severus "and THEN I shall be talking to Mr Jackman."

oOoOo

Dell arrived with Jackman.

"Excuse me? Was this a general invitation?" asked Severus dangerously.

"Hawke Malfoy was talking about Professor Black getting caught by 'dog-away'" said Dell "I don't shirk when I'm caught out."

Jackman gave him a filthy look.

"I told you not to talk out" he muttered.

"Oh but Mr Jackman, you are caught out without needing Mr Dell's inherent honesty" said Severus "I find it one of your saving graces, Mr Dell; no-one can accuse you of being a coward. Now, why have you been sending notes concerning Miss Gan Golgo pray?"

"Well she must have cheated to have so high a place in the class, sir" said Dell "Goblins aren't that clever!"

"Dear me. Labouring under a false apprehension, I see, Mr Dell" said Severus. "She is not as clever as Mr Gan Konal I grant you; but she is plenty clever enough. It is one of the entry requirements until such time as the concept of racial equality is normalised that only exceptionally clever goblin children come here, unlike humans whereof we may receive any old trash and from the older and more inbred lines frequently do. You carry a lot of Lestrange, Malfoy and Crouch blood do you not, Mr Dell?"

"Yes sir I do."

"Hmm, yes, my case rests. I'm not quite sure where Mr Jackman inherited his stupidity but I'm sure he has purebloods in his line too to exacerbate any natural tendency to under-use what he laughingly refers to as his brain." Severus was in full flow. "It seems to me that if the pair of you devoted the time you waste in neglecting your studies for the exercise of your puerile prejudices you might yourselves manage to acquire a position in class that was more consistent with that gained by those who have a reasonable level of application and dedication such as Miss Gan Golgo. I take it that the 'dog away' came from the more fertile brain of the two, Mr Dell?"

"Uh yes sir; Jackman wanted to irritate Fraser" said Dell "And I'd read about it in an advert in the _Prophet_. So we sent for some"

"I see. Had the pair of you managed to brew it for yourselves there might have been some minor merit in your miscreancy; but alas. Very well, you may pick up all the fliers you have left around; and apologise both to Miss gan Golgo – whom I have legilimensed for her own protection to prove she has NOT used cheating unknown to human wizards – and to Madam McGonagall for wasting her time and impugning one of her house."

They stared aghast.

"Apologise? To GARJALA?" cried Dell "I'd rather drink erumpant urine through a straw!"

"I'm afraid I can't arrange that at short notice Mr Dell" said Severus "Yes, apologise."

"Can't we gut horned toads or something?" begged Dell.

"Are you crazy?" cried Jackman "It's only words!"

Dell gave him a look of disgust.

Severus pursed his lips.

"Mr Dell, you told me you believed she must have cheated. I assure you she has not. Do you believe me?"

"Well…yes sir, if you say so."

"Then you should apologise for assuming she had cheated – for your assumption was false. You pride yourself on your honour I believe, and in not wanting to make apology when you are not sorry. And I hold that in honour. But you must surely wish to redress a falsehood when it is found to be false?"

Dell held his eyes for a moment then dropped them.

"I suppose" he said.

Severus heaved a silent sigh of relief.

The boy was as bad, in his way, as Harry could be with his honour-bound defiance.

oOoOo

Garjala received the apologies, smooth and meaningless from Jackman and carefully worded from Dell, that he was sorry he had made a false assumption as to her honesty, with coolness.

"All right" she said. "Don't expect me to fall on your necks with gratitude or anything."

"I for one would rather you didn't" said Dell "I don't like your kind; but I will admit to a fault when I make it."

Garjala nodded.

"Well I guess that's fair" she said. Garjala was honest enough to recognise that she too had prejudices; and had found many of them eroded by the fair and decent treatment she had been given even by those with surnames like 'Malfoy'. And one had to admit that Dell was up front and was no hypocritical lying little turd like Jackman.

oOoOo

Apologising to McGonagall was a painful affair; though Dell found it less difficult than apologising to Garjala. McGonagall received their apologies in silence and nodded.

"Weel I trust ye'll no' do anything like it again" she said "Anonymous letters are some of the most cowardly of things."

And that left Dell more upset than anything else since he prided himself on his courage!

It may be said that at this point, Dell did all he could to dissociate himself from Jackman. He truly despised the facile lies and cowardly readiness to squirm out of trouble that Jackman seemed to find normal; and it may be said that when Jackman wanted to involve him in another scheme, Dell rounded on him and told him that he would as soon work with a goblin than with a liar and a coward.

Jackman abandoned his scheme; he had not the ability to pull off any kind of serious jinxing by himself.

oOoOo

The end of term exams came and went; Garjala did well and so too did Marianne, who actually managed to enjoy herself for determinedly taking Hermione's advice. Her strict, ten minute rests every precise half an hour were perhaps a little mechanical; but that did not necessarily strike Hermione as odd, since she tended to be fairly regular and unimaginative in her own revision pauses and had only given Marianne imaginative advice because she was quoting Krait.

oOoOo

And then the ball was upon them.

The ball went with a swing; and Draco asked for a soft number to kneel to Grace and propose to her in the middle of the dance floor.

Grace flushed fierily.

"Of course Draco" she said softly "If you're sure."

"We are joined" said Draco, simply.

"Oh, how romantic!" cried Hermione. "Ron, why didn't you think of that?"

"But I don't need to ask you, I already knew we were getting hitched" said Ron.

Ginny kicked his ankle.

"RON!" she said "If you take Hermione for granted she might decide to dump you for – for Michael Corner!"

"She wouldn't! He's a twat!" said Ron.

"Digging yourself a hole old man" said Harry. He sank to one knee before Ginny. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

"With all my heart Harry James Potter" said Ginny.

Hermione stared hard at Ron.

"What, you expect me to make a…oh all right" sighed Ron. He kneeled rather awkwardly. "Well, will you?" he said.

"I think I'd need to think about it very seriously if you can't do better than that" said Hermione.

Ron sighed.

"I would count myself the luckiest man alive if the most beautiful and cleverest witch of her age would consent to be my bride" he said.

"Oh that's lovely!" said Hermione "I will be yours Ron, joined in love and blood!"

"Huh" whispered Ginny to Harry "I bet he got that out of that book Fred and George bought him a couple of years back on how to butter up women."

"He bought me the same copy for Christmas last year when he'd finally got around to reading it" confided Harry "But you're too beautiful for me to need it because I just go tongue-tied looking at you whatever compliment I might want to turn."

"Now that IS nice" approved Ginny "It does have one good piece of advice in it though – I read it you see to check if you were using it on me" she confessed "And that is to tell a woman every day that you love her, even when she knows. I'll remind Ron of that one too; he seems to have almost forgotten how to treat a woman since she kissed him so hard after we killed Fishface."

"Did she? I didn't notice. I was busy kissing you."

"Of COURSE I noticed. And Grace and Draco is no surprise to me I can tell you!"

Harry gave up.

His beloved was plainly omniscient and it was best to leave her the last word.

Professor Dumbledore used a sonorus spell so his voice carried.

"May I give my congratulations to all our engaged couples and urge them also not to neglect their studies in the time they have left at school." He started clapping; and most people joined in except those who looked upon Grace as though she were one of Severus' horned toads.

"I didn't plan to distract you until after your OWLS, Gracie" said Draco "But, you know…."

Grace leaned on him.

"I'm not really ready for a proper relationship yet anyway, Draco" she said "But it's nice to know it is a proper joining… will we do the deep joining before you leave? Like dad and Krait did?"

Draco nodded.

"I want to be close to you even when we're apart" he said.

For some of the participants at the ball it was the happiest Yule ever!

_**A/N; Sidhe is pronounced SHEE; Daone Sidhe is THEENA SHEE. Gaelic is the crankiest language in the world; don't blame me I'm only part Gael. Keep this in mind. The sidhe can be nasty.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The time was arithmantically right over the holidays to close the inadvertent opening to Basingstoke Railway Station; and Krait was pleased it was when the majority of children were away for the holiday so she. Professor Vector and Severus were able to get on with it without interruption. She had a long argument with Professor Vector as to the precise timing and explained that she wanted to use the passage of the muggle train that had so disrupted poor Professor Binns to draw the reft closed in its wake.

Madam Vector considered this; nodded; and agreed to a time shift of seven and a half minutes to accommodate the intercity. Krait explained that it would work like a zip fastener, and since this excellent muggle invention had seeped into the wizarding world, Vector understood her perfectly. Sometimes high level Arithmancy required as much art as precision.

The holidays also gave Krait and Severus the chance to get to know Melody and Harmony Bloom better. It was rewarding; Melody went from being a sullen child to being eager to please and learn. And Harmony lost the pinched look that Krait knew only too well from her own experiences as an abused child in the orphanage.

Krait 'went unicorn' so that Severus could tap her blood to cure the wicked looking burn scars on the older girl's face; and Melody cried in relief and hugged Krait hard. Then she hugged Severus.

"Doesn't it work on yours?" she asked.

Severus laughed.

"Well, Krait hadn't developed the form when it happened – as well as being rather overtired from giving birth prematurely – and we never got around to it" he said "I expect it would work; but you know, it really doesn't bother me; for it doesn't bother Krait. It's more important for a girl anyway. I could equally chant, I suppose" he added "As it is a cursed sort of wound; but somehow it's never seemed important enough to try. And at the time having the full use of my fingers and having my sight were really the priorities!"

"I shall send some unicorn blood to Bill Weasley for Christmas anyway" said Krait "To use or not as he sees fit. Fleur loves him anyway, and now that's proven he might be vain enough to care. Severus uses his to add fear and terror to his new house members."

Severus chuckled.

"Minx, that's not entirely true. It does however add to the grim visage; and sometimes that's useful, like in bullying the

ministry."

"I thought it was impossible to assume the form of magical creatures" said Melody timidly "Or did I misunderstand Madam McGonagall?"

"Oh it is, utterly impossible" said Severus "And when has that ever stopped Krait?"

Melody had never known it was possible to be happy, especially around adults!

She started looking forward to the new term, excited for the first time in her life.

oOoOo

David and Draco stood vigil as was their custom to see all the youngsters who were to travel by train – which was not all of them – back on board.

Mary-Anne Green failed to show.

"Perhaps her dad forgot to wind the clock again" said Draco.

"Or forgot the day" said David. "I bought myself a mobile phone in the holidays; it seemed like a good idea to be able to remind muggle parents if we lost any…."

Mr Green answered quite quickly.

"Oh hello, I just got in" he said "Who is that?"

"This is David Fraser from Hogwarts, sir; we've not seen Mary-Anne, is there a problem?"

There was a long silence.

"But I just took her to the station" said Mr Green "Platform five and a half, I didn't feel any barrier to walk through or even see one so I guess I'm getting used to it…. I asked if it was the school train and they said it was."

It was David's turn to be briefly speechless.

"It's not five and a half, sir, it's NINE AND THREE-QUARTERS!" he said "She's on a train to the wrong school….." he rang off and belted across Kings' Cross Station.

In time to see the train pull out.

David threw his school hat on the ground and jumped on it.

"Miss the school train son?" asked a guard.

"Worse than that sir" said David gloomily "A first year of ours got on it….her dad found the wrong school train."

"Oops" said the guard "A girl? Didn't she notice it was a boys' school? Look, I can phone ahead to Devon and let them know…"

"I'd be very grateful" said David "The kid's called Mary-Anne Green. I'll let my school know and they'll send someone to pick her up. As to whether she noticed, if she had her head in a book they could all have been zombies, mummies, vampires and werewolves and she wouldn't notice."

The guard gave a sympathetic grin. Dozy kids WERE rather a trial!

"It could only happen to a Hufflepuff" said Draco when David told him what had happened.

"And I fancy we're going to spend every term start making sure Miss Green catches the right train" said David gloomily. Draco laughed.

"You might; only one more term of that tribulation for me!" he said.

oOoOo

Back in school the Gryffindors fell back in horror as they entered their common room – password 'abstention' from a most seedy looking Fat Lady who had imbibed too much of the Merry Monks' rather raw wine – as several hundred puffskeins fell out at them.

"OOH!" squealed Persis Beck "I left mine over the holidays, they must have bred!"

Ron Weasley rounded on his young cousin.

"You IDIOT Persis, you KNOW they're scavengers….and Merlin alone knows how much stale tuck got left!"

"Several hundred Puffskeins worth by the look of it" said Harry.

"Huh, they're tribbles" said Abraxus "And the New Marauders will do the deed, we're good Klingons us, right Kinat?"

"Loh, Jowi!" agreed Kinat in Klingonese.

It went over the heads of most of the other children though Harry chuckled and Hermione sighed. The New Marauders had spent most of the holiday together watching old films.

The blood call brought Bil, Rom and Hawke.

"Here, Persis, better pick yourself a couple as pets then get out; it might be a bit upsetting" said Abrax kindly.

"Do you HAVE to kill them?" said Persis.

"'Fraid so, kid" said Kinat "They breed like…well like puffskeins. Here, grab a couple."

Persis did as she was told; and a couple of other children also picked up one or two for pets.

It was a bit like shooting fish in a barrel; but it had to be done and pretending to be Klingons ridding the universe of an excess of tribbles did help.

"I wonder what would happen if we just stupefied them and sent them to the banishing place?" wondered Bil.

"They'd eat everything else that had been evanesco'd and breed so much they'd burst the wizarding space of rubbish holding" opined Hawke.

"Crumbs, that'd be funny, to see Severus cast evanesco on someone's cauldron and getting tribbles coming back instead!" said Abrax.

"Oh it's be rotten to my dad week is it?" said Rom.

"He's a teacher; he's fair game" said Kinat. "What if they mutated loathsomely like the monster those Hufflepuff girls got when they reversed the spell? Huge vicious puffskeins with fangs…."

The New Marauders paused briefly wondering whether it was worth experimenting on banishing puffskeins instead of killing them to see what might happen.

"Wouldn't be fair on them you know" said Bil.

"She's right" sighed Abrax.

"And it would have been so funny too" mourned Hawke.

"We have saved the universe for civilisation again by not" said Kinat.

"Civilisation?" queried Romulus.

"Well, something like that" grinned Kinat.

oOoOo

The weather was quite foul.

When it let up enough to go out during leisure hours, the children had great fun with a snowball fight, using brooms to dive-bomb; but overnight a high wind blew most of the snow away and on subsequent days hail and sleet were the order of the day, keeping everybody in.

As a result a collecting craze swept the school. Most people were trading famous wizard trading cards from chocolate frogs; others were collecting animated figures of Quidditch players. There were a few children – mostly Gryffindors – who started to acquire signed photographs of the Blood Group; and one child who had learned muggle style camping during the previous summer holiday who had had to learn how to use matches started collecting matchbox covers. Another child had brought back a cage containing different species of fairies, with which she artistically decorated the Ravenclaw common room and fed them carefully on honey. Mary-Anne, retrieved from the boys' school in Devon, showed off her collection, Panini cards of gymnasts.

"But they don't move" said Tim Barnett, puzzled "what's the point of cards that don't move?"

"Silly boy" said Tamsin Clintock "Muggle pictures don't move; you have to be able to use more imagination to build up the rest of the movement in your mind's eye from the static pose they're caught in – like that one is about to carry on rotating backwards."

"Oh" said Tim. "I always thought muggles didn't have much imagination but I guess they need more than you'd think."

Fortunately Tamsin was a phlegmatic enough child not to take issue with her friend for denigrating her parents, for she realised that it was a lack of knowledge on his part.

"You'd better come and spend part of the next hols with me, Tim" she said "'Cos you don't know much about muggles."

Tim brightened.

"That'd be cool!" he said "And – and I'd like you to come to mine too, if mum'll let me ask you" his brow furrowed suddenly, realising that feeding another child might cause his parents difficulty; as well as fitting her in.

"Oh Tim, you've got a garden, haven't you?" said Tamsin "We could camp out so I get to see garden gnomes close up…we can shop for stuff in the nearest muggle shop and cook it outside!"

Tim squeezed her arm.

He knew full well she meant to pay for the food; but she was so thoughtful not to mention it directly!

Tamsin was so nice even though her parents were rich, it made him mostly forget that they were!

oOoOo

The sequel to the collecting craze was discovered by Grace Snape.

She heard sobbing in the toilets and found the last person she would have expected of the first years, little Mary-Anne Green.

"Mary-Anne, whatever is wrong?" Grace squatted down and put an arm around the child. Mary-Anne blew her nose loudly.

"Oh Grace, do YOU think I let my house down?" she sniffed.

"Good gracious, of course not!" said Grace. "Why you're perfectly good at lessons aren't you – unless you get in a dream, Krait, uh, Madam Malfoy says, and you're well behaved and don't cause any trouble. You can't be blamed for your dad getting the wrong train you know!"

"Oh it isn't that…well it is partly, she says I'm nothing but a dopey mudblood, it's my gymnastic cards" she sobbed again "She says I let the house down collecting s-soppy muggle cards that don't move, that it's a really stupid thing to collect!"

"And who is this 'she'?" asked Grace.

"C-Celia Fortescue" Mary-Anne choked out the name of another Hufflepuff first year.

Grace could vaguely put a face to the name; the child simpered hopefully at anyone with a lightning scar or a prefect's badge and had the sort of whining voice that made them flee from her attempts to suck up.

"Well you don't care about what a nasty little girl like THAT says do you, Mary-Anne?" asked Grace, bracingly "She's not worthy of your attention! And if you collect gymnastics cards, well there aren't any wizarding gymnasts, so there aren't any moving cards. If you want your cards to move, why don't you talk to Bil Prince? She did gymnastics when she was living with her muggle grandparents and she keeps it up in the holidays, you know; and her brother Callum is an artist, between them they'll sort out your cards if you want. And if you don't it doesn't matter; YOU know what the moves are they're in the middle of, and if Celia Fortescue is too stupid to know, well that's her problem not yours!"

"Oh THANK you Grace!" cried Mary-Anne. "I will talk to the Princes; it'd be well cool if they did move, but I'm more interested in gymnastics than anything else, I don't really like quidditch that much."

"Heh, Bil will agree with you… now wash your face, kiddie and cut along!" said Grace.

oOoOo

Grace took the time to seek out Celia Fortescue.

Celia simpered at the scar.

"My good kiddie, it's time to grow a little tact, you know" said Grace.

"What do you mean, Grace?" whined Celia.

Grace fought the urge to shudder.

"Making fun of other people's collections is a bit unkind you know; even if it's not something that you'd enjoy collecting yourself" she said "I think it would be really nice of you to apologise to Mary-Anne and ask if she'd explain what her gymnasts are doing, don't you?"

Celia stared.

"What, apologise to that stupid kid? Not likely! Her and her muggle cards, she's sad!"

"I'd have said the sad one was the kid who can get so much venom in her voice over what is essentially a triviality" said Grace.

"EVERYONE laughs at Hufflepuff anyway, without some of them acting like muggles or squibs!" cried Celia.

"Well I have to say I don't think you have much idea of either muggles or squibs if you feel like that" said Grace "I was just suggesting what I thought would be the best course for you."

"I don't have to take orders from you! You're not a Hufflepuff and you're not even a prefect! I don't know what Draco Malfoy sees in you!" screeched Celia.

Grace shrugged.

"Probably you don't; but I fear, kiddie, you don't see much beyond your parochial little nose" she said, and walked off.

Apparently it was spite, not just thoughtlessness.

Grace made enquiries through Tamsin and Tim over what Celia collected.

"Oh she hasn't got a real collection at all" said Tim "A few chocolate frog cards and a few quidditch cards and one or two goblin-stamped coins through the ages, you know they brought out a basic collection and sold the others in packs like trading cards….but she hasn't got enough of anything to constitute a real collection 'cos she ain't got the stickability to stick to one thing. She just buys the first few of anything new that comes out then loses interest. So she just interferes in other people's collecting."

"I have dolls around the world and she was rude about them" said Tamsin "So I told her to go stick her head in a pig…she didn't know the reference so it was even funnier. I'm going to add to my collection by dressing dolls myself in wizarding costume around the world. And I don't want them to get up and walk around, thank you, I like dolls to be dolls."

"And that's your choice and I don't see why anyone should have a problem with it" said Grace. "Thanks kids; at least we know what's eating Celia, it's nothing more than jealousy over people who are happy with their collections."

"Yes" said Tamsin "And she can't really gripe at people with what could be called proper collections so she gets at those of us who have unusual ones. And only in house, 'cos she started to have a go at the Gryff who collects matchboxes and he threatened to set light to her so she's stayed well clear of him!"

"I hope he was joking" murmured Grace; and deciding that she did not want to find out!

oOoOo

Further trouble arose over the collecting craze when Persis Beck, proving that she was not immune to the Weasley temper, slapped Gerald Locke hard.

Persis collected famous wizard cards, and Gerald had the habit of smiling in a superior way and correcting her on any detail she mentioned with regard to any of her famous wizards.

It would have been infuriating enough if he had been accurate; but he was not. So Persis asked him to just leave her alone, and when he did not she lost her temper.

The authorities stepped in at this point and declared that since the first years – of any house – could not be trusted to trade and discuss collections amicably, there would be time set aside after school wherein they might get out their collections and no other time.

It was felt to be hard by those who had played amicably with their collections; and those seen as to blame – Gerald Locke, Celia Fortescue, and the equally officious and interfering Lorraine Delgardy – were given a hard time.

Celia whined that it was all unfair and that it was that interfering Grace Snape's fault; and wondered how to pay Grace back. Not to mention Mary-Anne who should not have sneaked in the first place.

Most people ignored her.

With so much pent up feeling and no way of working it off outside, Severus suggested to Sirius that they re-start the duelling club.

"They can let off steam with controlled jinxes tossed at each other" he said.

"Good idea" agreed Sirius "And we can see if there's any who ought to be in the MSHG – or who ought to be investigated by it."

"A most excellent additional reason; and not at all likely to be taken as a sophistry for wanting to do it anyway" said Severus.

The duelling club was popular, though some turned up purely to watch the skilled. Duelling was something of a spectator sport when the likes of Harry and Draco were duelling. Draco's protégé Martin Umbridge took to the sport though, and was fairly evenly matched with David.

It was exciting to watch and fired the imaginations of many youngsters to have a go themselves; though few ever dared hope that they would be casting wordless – and even sometimes wandless – spells such as the better seniors practised! Few indeed of even the upper sixth were capable of the level of casting that those of the MSHG were able, even those like David several years their junior; and even Denis Creevey who was inclined to get over excited still.

There were those of the MSHG who were less effective of course; a boy in the New Marauders' year named Adolphus Brunt was a near squib, but even he performed better than he had ever hoped. He was known by the soubriquet of 'Fish' because of being 'Dolph'.

As Krait said, you had to be a pre-adolescent small boy to follow the reasoning without having to puzzle it out. Fish had survived lessons at first being covered for by his house elf Reldy, but the MSHG had brought him on to a respectable level, with aid from Abrax and co. He was a true Gryffindor in any case and had been in Dudley Durlsey's squad shooting werewolves with silver bullets from AK47s; and he planned to go and serve in Wendy Malfoy's shop when he left school.

Of course, Celia Fortescue was to be found making not-so-sotto voce comments that Grace was awarded wins through partisan refereeing because she was a Professor's daughter and teacher's pet; she started sucking up to those girls who were still furious at Grace for being engaged to the most eligible bachelor in the wizarding world save perhaps Harry Potter. Grace obtained support from an unusual source, in the person of Claire Barrett, Draco's partner of the previous year. Claire was very fond of Draco and appreciated his kindness to her, without being drawn to him romantically or sentimentally. She was a sensible girl deep down who thought he would be a most unrestful person to be married too; but his attentions had done wonders for her self esteem and had enabled her to give up comfort eating and lose a lot of weight. She was furious at the ongoing malice felt by girls who would never have been in the running for Draco's hand in any case; and said so.

She also proved her new found confidence in the duelling court against some of the spiteful girls; and was applauded by Draco for her skill.

oOoOo

This did not stop Celia's ill feeling; and as she could do little against Grace, she decided to punish Mary-Anne for getting her into trouble in the first place and causing her to be picked upon in an ongoing fashion. Celia did not stop to consider that she was called to book regularly by older ones for her continuing unpleasant comments, nor that her loud, whining voice was likely to be heard and picked out above other conversations by those who did not like the tone of her remarks.

The weather had cleared, and the staff heaved collective sighs of relief that the children could be banished outside – and tempting as it was to actually use a banishing spell, as Severus said, some parents might want their little treasures back – and let them get rid of their excess energy in sport and play.

It was Grace who noticed that Mary-Anne had not returned in after one such session.

In deep suspicion she cornered Celia Fortescue.

"Celia, have you seen Mary-Anne? Have you had anything to do with her not coming back in?" she demanded.

"OO, who died and made you a prefect suddenly?" said Celia.

Grace twitched her wand wordlessly and Celia felt herself lifted onto her toes by the ear.

It was a new spell of Draco's, based on Severus' _Levicorpus_ spell that he called _Auropunit_, otherwise refered to as 'the prefect's spell'.

Grace led Celia by the ear, stumbling perforce along with her ear at the level and just a few feet from Grace's wand; and took her to Ernie Macmillan, head of Hufflepuff.

"She points out I'm not a prefect, and nor am I in her house" said Grace with some asperity "In order to hide what I think she knows about why little Mary-Anne Green has disappeared."

"That's a very serious accusation" said Ernie, pompously "And from anyone but you Grace I might wonder if you were influenced by this little horror spreading lies about you."

"She's spreading lies about me because I ticked her off for bullying Mary-Anne before" said Grace "her foolish words cannot hurt me. Now, brat, will you tell Ernie where Mary-Anne is?"

Celia shuffled.

"Quick now!" said Ernie "Or I'll ask Grace to use legilimensy on you; I'm sure she knows how."

"I'm not exactly in Draco's league" murmured Grace "But on a silly child I daresay I could manage; since I'm concerned for Mary-Anne's safety now it's getting dark….but as I'm not practised it'll probably hurt Celia."

"Don't you poke in my head!" squealed Celia "It's not my fault she took the dare! It's not my fault she's so mad on that stupid muggle gymnastics thing! I only said if she was so fond of it she should climb the flagpole!"

Grace gasped.

"I leave her in YOUR able hands to deal with, Ernie" she said "I'm after little Mary-Anne!"

Mary-Anne was clinging, frozen in terror and rapidly freezing in body, filled with vertigo.

Grace hovered her broom expertly and lifted the terrified child down in front of her.

"It's all right kiddie" she soothed "It's all right!"

She did a neat wingover and headed straight for the hospital wing and delivered Mary-Anne into the tender care of Madam Ponfrey.

"What HAS she been up to?" demanded the school nurse.

"It was hazing by another kid" said Grace "And I left HER in the charge of her house head boy. You get better quick, you here me, kiddie, and stop taking notice of that nasty little creep, hmm?"

Ernie was pompous and wordy without managing the sarcastic flights that Severus or Krait achieved, or even Draco; but he got his message of disapprobation across to Celia. He promised faithfully that if he ever heard her name again in any connection that was not positive, she would be seeing Madam Sprout as Mistress of Hufflepuff.

Celia might not feel any less resentful; but at least she determined to be more circumspect.

Being sent to one's house mistress was not something to contemplate lightly!

oOoOo

With Celia Fortescue keeping a low profile, and the more racist Slytherin going in healthy fear of consequences from their head of house, things settled down to be a bit quieter.

As quiet as any school of magic might be when magical mistakes could be quite disruptive.

The first years were learning how to transfigure a locust into a locust bean; and the transformation went smoothly enough for some or failed in various predictable ways for others, Mary-Anne's bean still having legs, and Lionel Dell's having a tendency to hop being quite normal manifestations of incomplete transfigurations and they were not the only ones with similar problems. Only Garjala was what Madam McGonagall would describe as truly talented at transfigurations, though she sighed gently at Alice for refusing point blank 'tae discommode the puir wee beastie' and thought of Krait and her prejudices against transfiguring animate creatures into objects.

Her arguments with Alice that she might return the insect quickly to its own form distracted her from the rest of the class, though the Professor swung round quickly at the sound of a piercing shriek.

Amabel Trout, a Hufflepuff child, had managed not only to fail to transform her locust, but to produce a whole plague of locusts from her wand.

The shriek had been from Gabrielle Delacour who was howling that they would get in her hair; she and Garjala took each other's hands and promptly disappeared under their shared desk. Celia too was screaming and trying to hide.

Various other children – notably the MSHG – started firing '_Stupefy'_ spells; Marianne Wilder began exploding them.

"Oh for goodness sake! They're only INSECTS!" said Mary-Anne Green in disgust. '_Invertebrae Incacerata!'_ she flicked her wand and the flying milling locusts were confined in a bubble of air, unable to get out.

"A fine spell, Miss Green" said McGonagall "Wheer did ye learn that?"

"Oh I learned some Latin at my old school so I sort of made it up as I went along" said Mary-Anne, smiling brightly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Weel, it's a good idea at any time" said McGonagall "And I'll be writing out your wand motions and the words. Twenty points to Hufflepuff" she added "And I've half a mind to dock ten frae Gryffindor for mak'ing sae mich of a fuss!"

"'Tisn't only Gryffs, Madam McGonagall!" declared Garjala, sticking a cautious head out from under the desk "There's a total mix of houses hiding under here!"

"Weel then, I shall just ask the lot of ye except Mary-Anne tae write me six inches on the habits of the common locust" said McGonagall. "Mr Barnett, ye can open your eyes, they're a' gone; though wha' ye hoped tae achieve by sae doing is beyond me."

"I guess I hoped if I couldn't see them they couldn't see me" said Tim, feeling foolish.

McGonagall considered.

"It's an ower complex effect tae be hopin' tae achieve at your tender years, Mr Barnett" she said seriously.

Tim was delighted she had taken him seriously enough not to get a lecture on facetiae; and started wondering how such a spell might actually work!

McGonagall sighed and returned to the business of trying to get her class into some semblance of order again.

"Weel, next week ye'll be transforming your familiars into animals that are similar" she said "Owls into other birds or Persian cats, cats into lynxes, ferrets" she looked at Garjala "Into stoats or meercats. Read up about the animal you plan to turn your familiar into during the week and write notes in your books for your own reference. Dismissed."

Transfiguration class was not always smooth and without incident.

She said as much to Krait later, when comparing Alice Trumball's attitude to Krait's own."

"Oh I agree with the child" said Krait "Though if it's turning back almost straight away I've no moral difficulty; I'll have an informal chat with her if you wish, Minerva"

"Aye, I'd be main grateful if ye would" said McGonagall "Sometimes I think first years get worse every year."

"I think we just have a largely inept batch" said Krait. "Take potions, on Monday; I have half a dozen I'd feel queasy about trusting to make a cup of tea, let alone produce a reasonable potion; and only five I think are likely to get good grades at OWL if the majority carry on as they are. And then one lad who's not brilliant but not what I'd call poor, young Tony Queach pulls a stunt that still has me cowering!"

"Ravenclaw lad, quite bright, very musical? He's normally no TROUBLE" said McGonagall.

"Exactly! But he tells me afterwards that it's when a piece of music starts writing itself in his head he can't concentrate on anything else but composing. Which is how come there was this almighty bang, and now there's a cauldron embedded in the ceiling!"

Minerva McGonagall laughed.

"Oh dear, I suppose it's not really funny, my dear, it's the way you tell it…"

"It was funny afterwards… I had a shock at the time though, and I had to check it wasn't about to fall in a hurry….it's there for good I reckon. I told him straight that while he was busy composing, his potion was busy decomposing by means of fermentation! I forbade him to come to my class any day he had a tune stuck until he'd got it out and if he needed any I could provide him with syrup of figs to help it. He retired abashed."

"You are almost as bad as Severus my dear…and I have more locusts than I know what to do with, can you use them for anything?"

"Not that I can think of off hand but I'll ask Severus…it's been one of those weeks, hasn't it?"

"Weel, there's a new spell out of it anyway, and fu' credit tae Mary-Anne for it. And it at least cannae get worse!"

oOoOo

Madam McGonagall wondered if she had jinxed herself with those words when the shriek of 'mad ferret!' and 'RABID!' brought her to the door of her office next morning to see Garjala's ferret rushing around foaming at the mouth with children shrieking and jumping on chairs, tables and windowsills.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Ron Weasley's voice cut through the shrieks "It's not mad – well not more than usual – the little beast has eaten my shaving soap!"

"TOLD you he wasn't rabid!" cried Garjala.

McGonagall retired discreetly back into her office.

She really didn't want to know.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Madam McGonagall was looking forward to the next lesson with mixed feelings. There were a few talented children but as Krait had said, most of this year's intake were distinctly mediocre. Surely even a mediocre bunch couldn't not make too much of a mess of changing their own familiars slightly?

The only child who had a real flair for transfigurations was Garjala, unusual in a goblin, for whom charms were, McGonagall thought, more instinctive. She looked forward to seeing what animal Garjala had chosen to turn her ferret into.

"I thought I'd go for a mink" the little girl said as Madam McGonagall checked with each of them that their projected animal was suitable; and was glad she had done so. Tamsin Clintock's idea that her Kneazle, Evulkneazle, would make a splendid tiger was a little….

"Too big" vetoed McGonagall. "Ye'll no fit a tiger in here, and your classmates will no' think it comfortable sharing a classroom with sich a creature."

Several people agreed loudly and Tamsin subsided. She settled for a Scottish Wildcat; which was better. Tim, with a toad, planned on turning him into a brightly coloured rainforest frog, which might be a little ambitious, but he might as well try; most other people were fortunately not overly ambitious or imaginative.

The Professor gave the order to begin, and watched Garjala with interest whilst keeping a surreptitious eye on other people.

There was a faint 'Plop!' noise; and Griphook the ferret sat unmoved – and unchanged – on the desk. Garjala had disappeared. Shortly a second ferret climbed laboriously onto the desk, wand in mouth and waved it ineffectually.

"Oh my goodness" said McGonagall, waving her own wand hastily.

Garjala appeared again in place of the second ferret, squatting on the desk.

"Thanks professor!" she said "My, it's a bummer trying to get spells out when you've not got a voice box!"

"Are ye telling me ye never lost your intellect whilst ye were in that creature's form?" demanded McGonagall.

"Never seemed to" said Garjala.

"Weel, it may be that ye're a latent animagus at that" said the Professor "But ye're too young tae be expeerimentin' in that direction. Can ye try and dae whit it was that ye were supposed tae be doing?"

Chastened, Garjala got it right this time.

On the whole the rest of the class did not make too bad a job of their transfigurations. And if Amabel Trout's owl grew only the wings of a sea eagle and otherwise remained unchanged, it was at least better than the child managing to produce a plague of owls.

oOoOo

There was another bout of bad weather; and Krait, to preserve as she said the sanity of the staff and prefects, began a rumour about a fabulous treasure hidden in the castle, artistically ageing several spurious and vague clues that she hid just carefully enough that the first and second years thought they had found them by accident.

It may have been disconcerting to find youngsters in unusual places tapping for secret panels or trying to move mouldings; but it kept them out of worse mischief.

And Krait relented as they started getting frustrated and planted a few more obscure clues so that the cleverest among them found treasure of a sort, in the form of chocolate galleons. Which, whilst disappointing in some respects, was probably more welcome really to the ten to twelve year old mentality.

It kept the little ones out of trouble; it did not stop the nastiness Celia Fortescue had fanned the flames of towards Grace by those who were jealous of her engagement to Draco. Word went around that she was the child of Snape's by a previous student who wanted to bribe him to help her pass NEWTS; and rumour being what it is, Erich and Romulus were attached to that too. Someone spoke out of turn in a letter, and a Ministry official came to talk to Severus.

Severus was furious.

He referred the official to the cases of Grace and Romulus, and how he had taken them initially as wards and later adopted them.

"As for Erich, he's a runaway from Durmstrang, an orphan; and I let people think he's mine for his comfort" said Severus "You can ask his stepmother; I pay her to help care for my younger children as she has two of her own".

The official was all apology; and Severus told him snippily that a little prior research would have made him better informed so he would not have needed to be sorry. The man left feeling as though he was about twelve again having burned his swelling solution.

It was a nastiness however that needed to be stamped upon; and Dumbledore called for anyone who had spread slanderous lies about Professor Snape to come forward now, pointing out that spreading slander as an adult could lead to legal action.

As the girls who had made the initial whispers had never intended Professor Snape – whom they feared – to consider himself slandered they were terrified!

They did not own up; but the whispers stopped.

As the weather improved so did tempers, and the staff gave a collective sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, Tracy Davis had not forgiven Grace for attracting Draco's attention; and she had written home that she was practically engaged to Draco Malfoy the previous term, and her mother was talking about meeting him formally. Something drastic had to be done. As the campaign of whispers had been her idea, to make Draco shy off a girl of questionable antecedents, she was not popular with her scared fellows and hated Grace yet more. The opportunity came in an informal game of Quidditch at the weekend; and she barged Grace with her broom.

oOoOo

Draco felt the sharp crack of a broken arm in his betrothed, the connection already stronger with bonds of love.

The whole Bloodgroup converged on where Grace lay, semiconscious from pain.

"See how stupid she is, Draco, she can't even stay on a broom" said Tracy. "Why do you want someone like that when you could have your pick?"

"I had my pick" said Draco, grimly, gently synchronising his heartbeat to make the healing magic more effective, moving to talk to the Slytherin girl as Krait undertook to heal Grace. "You know what, Tracy? I think you did this. And I think you've been slandering my prospective father-in-law too. And I think next time anyone close to me gets hurt, I'm going to blame you and I think I might just use the Cruciatus Curse on you. In the meantime…" he did not even move his wand to cast the jellylegs hex on the girl and combined it with a binding spell to her broom which with a toss of his head he sent on a wild rollercoaster of a ride until Tracy was vomiting with fear and vertigo.

He brought the broom to the ground and cancelled the curses.

"F-fine behaviour for a head boy!" managed Tracy.

"Good, has it given you a revulsion for me?" said Draco "I hoped it might. I would not go out with you if you were the last woman alive; get that into your dim head. Complain about me if you wish; but if you do you'll have to explain why I did it, and I should think with your hate campaign and all you've said about Professor Snape you're more likely to get expelled than I am with my excellent record. Now can it; or I'll get nasty." He turned to pick up Grace as she regained her senses.

Tracy believed him.

Grace suffered no more tribulations at her hands nor from anyone else of those older girls.

oOoOo

Nothing worse happened to anyone, unless one counted the crush that Gabrielle Delacourt had on Harry Potter; which was more irritating than anything else from Harry's point of view, and delightfully mournful from Gabrielle's. She indulged in unrequited love with all the emotional intensity the French could manage.

The blood group had some brief excitement of a pleasant kind when Sirri gave birth to Severus' daughter on the last day of February. She had transformed into her larger form for the last few weeks, and it certainly made birthing her half human child much easier. Naturally the Bloodgroup helped by taking some of the pain and helping to mentally encourage the baby. Sirri was delighted with her daughter; and called her Iris.

"Iris means rainbow" she squeaked "And she's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for me, and she's a bridge between peoples too."

The Blood Group approved, though Hermione did NOT approve of Severus having a mistress.

She asked Krait,

"Don't you MIND?"

Krait smiled.

"Mind bringing some love into the life of dear Sirri? Of course not, Hermione. We are one, Severus and I; and we have so much. Would we not be selfish if we were to deny happiness and love where we can give it?"

"I guess you're bigger than I am, Krait" said Hermione "I could not share Ron."

"Perhaps it's the deep joining we did" said Krait. "I shouldn't worry; nobody's asking you to share him. Except Lavender Brown and who cares about her? She's a cow."

"Spoken like a truly caring Slytherin!" laughed Hermione.

And the end of term approached.

All would be ready to leave after the night of the equinox; for Easter fell late that year.

The students went to bed excited; and had barely fallen asleep for chattering too late when the noise started.

There was shrieking and cackling laughter and swearing and banging as though a thousand Peeves's were loose outside the castle.

"Get the children up!" Sirius' mind voice called to the Blood group "Get everyone in the great hall as quickly as possible, don't miss one, we must concentrate to protect!"

Getting frightened children out of beds and down the stairs– Mary-Anne Green was fast asleep and had to be carried by Ernie Macmillan – was challenging.

"What is it Professor Dumbledore? Oh what is it?" one of the girls sobbed.

"It is the Unseelie Court" said Dumbledore "They have never dared brave the defences of Hogwarts before; they think we are weakened after our fight against Voldmemort. Who can tell me anything about the Unseelie Court? Ah, Miss Granger, I wondered if you might know."

"We discussed it last term when the red caps were seen" said Hermione "I never thought to need the information, at least not this soon…" she reeled off what she had told the others.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Ten points to Gryffindor" he said. "Those most at risk are the under sevens unless they have been baptised since they may not touch those tied to a religious ritual nor any human over seven years old, wizarding or otherwise. Those who are not human or not fully human are at risk however; Gabrielle, my dear, you will place yourself in the middle with our younger ones."

"House elves" said Krait, tersely.

"Blimey, yes, they're fey too, ain't they?" said Ron "We should fetch them up!"

He earned himself a look of approval from Hermione.

"Sirri and Beloc are bringing them up" said Krait calmly "Here they come….over sevens, give them room in the middle please, we shan't be having difficulties shall we, Mr Dell?"

"No Ma'am!" Dell was shocked "I don't think they ought to be treated as equal but we gotta protect them!"

"Well, it's a start I suppose" muttered Krait, kissing Sirri and her baby. The little elf passed her baby in to Mimi and stood white faced but determined beside her brother with the rest of the Bloodgoup. Jade cuddled all the younger children and soothed them, taking her responsibility as oldest non-school age daughter seriously. Jem Ingate had his arm around his younger siblings too; he was almost old enough for Hogwarts now and felt his responsibility too, admiring Severus as his guardian and hoping to live up to the stern potions' master!

Sirius came back from a patrol with David Fraser, both in dog form; and they changed hurriedly.

"The charms are holding" Sirius reported "But only just…we've brought in Gabrielle and she really is fey, even more than elves, and there are precedents about having the fey under our roof giving them right of entry. They're getting around to getting over the spells right now."

"Chanting class, to me" said Severus "Let us form a circle and add a layer of charm around the children and elves. Which of you managed to learn those chanting dances – no, not you, Mr Weasley, you have three left feet – Mr Potter, Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, Miss Chang, Miss Lovegood, Mr Malfoy, Madam Malfoy, will you do the honours too?"

"At your command, Professor" murmured Krait with a saucy look at him under her eyelashes.

"I know the dance" said Professor Vector "I'll make nine with you, a better number."

Severus nodded.

"Good….Mr Weasley, Mr Longbottom, you're on overwatch."

Ron was glad to have a job to do; he knew he was no dancer, but hoped that he would get the steps right enough if needed.

Neville had not even volunteered and nor had Justin Finch-Fletchley, the other volunteer chanters.

They knew their limitations and had found the chanting interesting but hated the intricate charm weaving dances that Severus had just introduced as supplemental!

One might describe the dancing as efficient rather than graceful. Hermione had a tenacious memory and had learned the steps, but she approached a dance that was also a spell with a grim determination rather than with fluidity. Krait reflected that it was typical of Hermione who always tried too hard. And it was why Hermione would never be innovative; because she could not let herself go.

It was a pity; but her children and Ron's might well be something special.

Krait, who had not had any formal lessons but had picked up the moves in an ad hoc way from Severus, found the weaving quite easy. It was nothing more than an arithmantic formula: and she would have to tell Hermione that, she thought. And therefore one might add fractal squiggles to emphasise any part of it, if one was not having Hermione poke one in the back scandalised at one departing from the set formula.

It was finished just in time; as the door burst in and a throng of chattering, laughing, cursing fey careered about the hall, pulling faces and jeering. Not one was entirely like another; some had wings, some were beautiful, some ugly. There were tall ones, usually cadaverously thin, and tiny ones, not unlike house elves to look at, though some of them were blue or green in hue; and who sneered and cat-called at the terrified house elves for their servility.

"MEH!" said Sirri "We aren't servile; take THAT!" and she cast a knee-reversing hex at the loudest unseelie elf.

The force of it, backed as it was by Sirri's blood joining, threw the jeering elf backward and he gazed on Sirri with awe.

"Lovely powerful one, come with me as my bride and dance forever jinxing humans and having fun!" he cried.

"Go with YOU? You raggedy-arse filthy guttersnipe, in your dreams!" said Sirri.

"Ain't they just like the goblins from Labyrinth?" said Abraxus to Hawke "That one in charge isn't so good looking as David Bowie as Jareth though!"

"Reckon somehow Jareth's a pussy cat compared to that lot" said Hawke grimly.

"He is" said Kinat "They get involved with goblins sometimes; reckon because we're kinda fey it's them that stir up half the goblin riots just for fun – and to feed their ruddy redcaps!"

There were indeed amongst the unseelie troupe those who resembled goblins if indeed they were not goblins, in the same way as there were unpleasant faced travesties of elves.

Dumbledore spoke.

"You fey are unwelcome here; you come by force and unlooked for. Begone and we shall not feel a need to forcibly eject you."

"That's a laugh" sneered a tall fey "You couldn't begin to eject us, even if you can stop us getting to our rightful prey…for a time. Give us the fey girl and our other rightful prey and we shall depart and leave you in peace."

"Bugger off or we'll leave YOU in pieces!" growled Krait.

"Ah diplomacy…." Murmured Dumbledore

"Time for diplomacy is past" said Krait "They make ridiculous demands; we refuse them and refute their right. Come and get it my insubstantial fellow; you ain't seen nothin' yet, as they say."

"Get them!" shouted the spokesman.

The Blood Group moved smoothly into mental synchronisation.

"Dour buggers….reckon _Ride_'d work?" asked Draco.

"Let's try it" said Harry.

The laughing spell that destroyed dementors might not have had quite so profound an effect; but it clearly caused the larger fey intense discomfort and forced them to withdraw. As for the spells of the Bloodgoup, helped as they were by the elven blood of two of the members the effects were as profound on the fey as if they had been cast on humans. Slowly but surely the howling mob was driven back. Even little Jade and Lydia were hurling wandless hexes – with, it has to be said, greater effect than the wanded efforts of many of their seniors. The school ghosts joined in too, for the fey seemed to find the passage of a ghost through their bodies most unpleasant, something Myrtle was quick to discover and pass on,

The Bloody Baron enjoyed terrorising the fey intensely.

"Unnatural wights, begone!" he roared, terrifying his own side as much as the fey, since he was normally still fairly uncommunicative to any but Malfoys.

It was Krait who had the idea.

"You kids who've been to see the new Henry Vth, sing 'non nobis!" she called "It's Christian; they don't like it!"

The Malfoy twins started it joyfully; and the other New Marauders joined in. Krait added a counterpoint, then started chanting the mass, which of course she knew by heart from her days in the Catholic orphanage.

The fey definitely did NOT like that!

"You have defeated us; but we shall return!" cried the leader from the safety of outside the door.

"Not so fast, skinny!" called Krait "We demand the right set by precedent to play you at Quidditch with the stake that you never trouble us again!"

"Hah! And if we win?"

"The you can try again – as often as you want" said Krait "And we kill a few more of you each time until you don't trouble us any more anyway. Heads we win; tails you lose."

"Don't be too sure you'll hold us another time!" he said "But we will play the game as challenged; on the night of Samhain"

"Nope" said Krait "Not on one of your ceremonies; nor one of ours. We'll play on the last day of term next term; and woe betide any cheating on your part."

There was an outcry at that; but it was more of the kind of form protest than any real indignation, Krait thought.

And then they were gone.

"Meh" said Krait, "Never thought that old tripe would ever come in useful; ritual IS powerful, isn't it?"

"Well it blocked you and the young ones from the book well enough" said Severus "Well remembered, love! And well thought of too!" he was also cuddling Sirri "And you, my dear, certainly told that dirty little beast where to go!"

"As if he could even half measure up to YOU!" squeaked Sirri "Foolish little turd!"

"We came close to being taken by surprise here" said Krait "All because of a loophole in the rules in bringing in Gabrielle…when we play that match we'll have to plug that loophole."

"We'll have to put together a team…"

"Meh, what's wrong with the one we already know? It's not broke, don't fix it."

"Because they're playing HOGWARTS….Fred and George don't count even though you do because they're left for good."

"Flobberworms!" swore Krait. "We need our own loophole…..anything Albus could have them back to teach?"

"Only how to make a flaming nuisance of yourself and most of our brats here could already gain an 'O' grade in NEWTs at that if it were offered" said Severus.

"Unkind…and alas! How true" said Krait. "One of them could be a quidditch coach I suppose…and the other a supplemental groundsman…."

"It's pushing it" said Severus. "And for that matter I don't like risking Zach Smith and Damon Rich either…."

"Give them the option to drop out and see what they say" said Krait "I bet they won't…"

"Oh you're probably right…they're good Muggle studies fighters" said Severus.

"Besides, once you've faced Voldemort a bunch of muckin' fairies isn't going to be half as scary" said Krait "yes I KNOW we need to treat their powers with respect, but the only other way we could do it is play all bloodgroup, and as we'd need to use younger ones, that'd disrespect Zach and Damon. You and Sirius as Beaters?"

"He used to play beater… I'm a seeker by trade but I guess the pair of us working together will make up for my deficiencies in knowledge of the position" said Severus. "That'll work."

"And screw Ravenclaw for their sulks" said Krait "Unless we need to represent each house…."

Severus considered.

"No; they agreed to play the school. Not representatives drawn from every part of the school. As we shall tell them if they try it on; and ask if they mean to play with each of their men from a different fey subrace. They won't; it'll be an all highfey team."

"The tall, better looking ones?"

"Yes; their lords in effect. The unseelie elves spoke of being free, but they're no freer than house elves, they have to do what the highfey say. As indeed do seelie elves."

"There is a seelie court too then?"

"So it is written…they don't often interact with humans. I believe the use of elves as house elves was won long ago in some wager, probably over a game of hurley" said Severus "Ask Hermione; she probably can quote you dates and scores and how many penalties were called."

"Now THAT was unkind, my dear" laughed Krait "Even Hermione isn't Google!"

oOoOo

Zacharias Smith and Damon Rich refused point blank to be left out when asked if they preferred not to play; they were disappointed that Fred and George were barred from playing, but having seen Sirius and Severus fly against the Huorns they were more than happy with their new team members!

Naturally there was some demur from younger hopefuls – not least Cormac McLaggan, who was convinced he could show everyone how to play against these damned fey.

The younger Bloodgroup quickly came to the conclusion that it was at least partly to exclude him that adults only were to be added to the team and made no further fuss.

Except to covertly hex McLaggan with the indigestion hex as he left for his holidays explaining to his parents that he OUGHT to have been playing for Hogwarts if only things had been fair.

Nobody likes a loudmouth after all; and as Abrax said,

"That McLaggan he knows everything and he knows nowt!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The holidays went well for most people.

Krait and Severus and their assorted children received an invitation from Lucius, who was gathering all his assorted family under his roof for a family get together. It would also, said Lucius, be an excellent opportunity for those youngsters not yet old enough to start Hogwarts to get to know each other.

Krait was heard to mutter it was more likely to be a case of making enemies and influenza'ing people; but went anyway.

Jade at least had every intention of making sure that all her Malfoy cousins of her own age and younger were aware she was the boss.

"Get them into the habit of doing what I suggest, same as you have with Harry and co mum" she said.

Krait debated suggesting more circumspection; and gave up the idea.

Jade was ripe to be the next generation of Marauder.

She might as well practise now as later.

Names like Parkinson, Burke and Yaxley predominated; and Krait wondered if a new generation of little Deatheaters were being spoilt into little monsters here.

One family of Yaxleys were certainly not; Cecilia Yaxley was glad to be rid of an abusive husband and her three children were happier without a cruel and obsessive father! As the oldest, Aurelia, was the same age as Jade, that was an ally for the future. Priscilla Parkinson was another matter; an aggressive child, if not as pug faced as her cousin Pansy, and the same age as Lydia. Her little brother was another matter and would likely get on fine with the younger Snape brood. Also of Jade's age was Victor Crabbe whose main motive seemed to be avoiding his horrendously spoilt little brother; and Dymphna Burke, who already had a best friend in the person of her own reflection, as Jade put it. As Jade was already bear leading Harmony Bloom, it was perhaps just as well if she did NOT influence the entire of the likely Slytherin of her year; Krait was not sure if she would survive it!

The other family of Yaxleys were a different kettle of fish.

Odilia Yaxley, who appeared to be related to most pure blood families save the Weasleys, was a rude and unpleasant woman; and turned out as well to be Lucius' much older sister. The daughter she was introducing to the other small people was Ludmilla, her baby, and at five years old was already just as rude as her mother who had a screaming temper tantrum and kicked her nurse when Jade told her not to behave like such an ill-conditioned brat when she tried to get her own way by screaming.

The nurse looked far too young for the situation; and also looked like a Malfoy.

Krait picked up the screaming child using her wand and dragged her through the air to her mother.

"Try some glumbumble juice; or maybe see if you can't train her to act like a reasonable human being" she said with distaste "I never heard such an ill-conditioned row; one might think she was the lowest class of chav muggle, not the child of a scion of nobility."

"How dare you talk to me like that!" cried Odilia.

"Because I care for the family and I should like to see it retain its nobility not degenerate into the vulgarity your brat displays" said Krait. "And who is that mere child left in care of this little horror?"

Odilia pursed her lips.

"Oh I shall see Sephara punished for letting this happen, don't worry" she said. "Take the child away, she'll crsh my gown!"

Krait stared down her nose; and deliberately released Ludmilla onto her mother's lap, taking care to smear snot from the howling child's nose all down the velvet shoulder.

"Mummy will look after you Ludmilla" she said; and stalked away to drag the shadowing, frightened Sephara into a quiet room.

"You don't have to stay with them you know" she said. "IF you're old enough to be employed, which I doubt, you can always leave. I can employ you for my children if that's your profession."

"But I can't leave; they're my parents" said Sephara.

Krait stared.

"How old are you then?" she demanded.

"Thirteen" said Sephara.

"Why aren't you at Hogwarts?"

"Because I'm a s-s quib" said Sephara.

"Well! That's no excuse to dress you down and treat you as a servant!" said Krait.

"Oh it is, Ma'am; because I'm letting them down so I have to earn my way somehow" said Sephara.

"Erumpant piss and flobberworm juice" said Krait. "Let's see what Uncle Lucius has to say about THAT"

"He's scary" said Sephara.

"Yes, he does it very well" agreed Krait "He's all right you know; and in my book your mother is letting the family down by her actions and so I shall tell him."

Sephara was amazed at the idea of anyone TELLING Uncle Lucius anything.

She got over it once she had heard Lucius listening to Krait holding forth.

"Krait my dear, what do you expect me to do about it?" asked Lucius.

"You're head of the family; or at least most of them do what you say" said Krait "Let me take custody of Sephara. You know I've had successes with squibs before now, getting at least some magic out of them; and if I can't the kid at least deserves to be given a chance to be a child, not nursemaid to that revolting little horror."

"She can be sweet at times" Sephara found the courage to protest and Krait beamed approval on her.

"That's as may be; but you shouldn't be spending your childhood bringing up a child, you should be at school having fun" said Krait. "You can at least learn some subjects with your peer group and if you can't do any magic you shall be a founder member at the annexe we're getting up to teach muggleborn's relatives and squibs. She'll be much happier I bet" she added to Lucius.

"Oh, undoubtedly" said Lucius. "Oh very well, Krait; I owe you far too much not to go along with your ides."

Krait hugged him.

"Thanks, Lucius!" she said. "Now then Sephara – assuming you'd rather live with me than with your horrid family – I'll take you quietly out the er, back way that Lucius doesn't know about and prefers it that way and you never even need see them again."

"Rather? Of course I'd rather" said Sephara "Especially if you can help me not to be a squib, at least not completely…"

"Well, we'll see what we can do" said Krait, who had her own private ideas on the subject. "And Lucius will inform your mother of his decision."

"I do believe I'm quite looking forward to it" murmured Lucius. "Let me see, breach of new regulations concerning care of squib children….breach of regulations concerning abuse of children….inappropriate parenting of a serious nature… I think I can threaten my dear sister into silence. She might look like your mother, Krait, but I fancy she has not much in common with her…"

"My poor little mother was a frightened little girl hardly any older than our Gracie" said Krait "And I don't think Odilia looks like my pretty little mother at all; Odilia has a hard face and she looks like a successful madam of a brothel!"

Lucius whooped with laughter.

"Ah my dear niece, I shall recall that comment if she tries to pull her age on me…. I see exactly what you mean! But how would you know to recognise such a type?" he added in mock severity.

"Television" said Krait. "More to the point, Uncle Lucius, how do YOU know?"

Lucius laughed.

"Oh I've known a few expensive harlots in my time" he said "My father bought me my first session as a thirteenth birthday present…. I was terrified" he admitted. "Besides I probably have shares in a few muggle brothels; they can be very profitable when they have euphemistic names like massage parlours."

"You're a rogue and a rascal, uncle Lucius" said Krait.

"Why thank you!" he inclined his head mockingly.

Krait took Sephara through the broom cupboard to Myrtle's loo chuckling.

"OO, a new girl?" said Myrtle.

"Sephara is allegedly a squib" said Krait "But I plan to see if we can't fix that. Meantime she can study Astronomy, Arithmancy, care of Magical Beasts, Herbology, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, History of Magic, Divination and she may as well have a go at Potions too. A muggle couldn't make a worse job of it than some of my first years."

"Huh, that's Merlin's truth" agreed Myrtle "The things you find down Severus' drains need to be whisked through to be believed."

"If I was in your shoes I'd not whisk through them at all" said Krait "I'd be afraid of doing myself a mischief."

Myrtle grinned.

"Well I must say I don't go through some of the more awful sludges" she said "I just like taunting Dell and Jackman about what they've been flushing away."

"You are a bad girl Myrtle" said Krait cheerfully "But I must get Sephara somewhere to sleep over the hols and some decent clothes too. And get back to see how much trouble Jade has got up to at Lucius' party."

"Lots I should think" said Myrtle. "Almost as much as Abrax and Hawke" she sighed "I do like Abrax."

"And he likes you" said Krait, hoping that her young cousin would not end up dying to be with Myrtle. Abrax had been going around looking thoughtful. But no; he was far to rudely healthily a young animal to contemplate death. Whatever he was looking thoughtful about was more likely to prove mischief of some kind, thought Krait.

oOoOo

With Sephara telling Gran and Merope all about it, Krait slipped back to the party.

Narcissa and Charlotte had managed to get in a huddle with Abrax's mother and were busy forming a Ladies' society for the Relief of Indigent Witches and Marginalised Women since the Society for Distressed Witches seemed to have fallen into apathy and, as Charlotte and Wendy were quick to point out, did not help squibs like Cynthia Strong's mother or such hags as might be less, er, haggish if only given a bit of aid; nor did it help Goblin women whose husbands had died in ill considered riots or for other reasons.

As Narcissa loathed the current president of the Society for Distressed Witches she was delighted to place her name to this new organisation and point out the deficiencies in the original society.

Krait agreed to join, at least in principle, in having her name down as Madam Prince, using the name under which Severus served on the government. She had plenty with which to donate, her father's probate under muggle law having left her very rich indeed. And she could put back into the wizarding society as much as possible to make up for what he took out.

After agreeing to this, she left them to it!

oOoOo

Several of the children had started coming to blows by this time; and the ones Jade and Lydia had picked as potential cronies had disappeared and were doubtless getting dirty under the auspices of Hawke and Abrax.

One almost forgot that Hawke was not really Abrax's twin. The poor child had never had a birthday celebrated with his senile old uncle; and did not even know when it was, and so was happy to adopt Abrax's birthday as his own. He was plinly of Malfoy descent somewhere; and the bloodsharing and close bond between the two had started little transfigurations that had made them virtually identical, save in eye colour. That they also copied Draco's slicked back hairstyle and manner added to the illusion!

Though with those transfigurations, it was not really an illusion any more, thought Krait.

Well, they were happy that way.

oOoOo

She finally ran the children to earth learning skateboarding.

The New Marauders all skateboarded, including several tricks; and indeed made a point of standing on their brooms to fly, skateboard fashion.

It upset Rolana Hooch's idea of what was right; but it seemed to work for them. When Kinat flew seeker and the other three boys chasers they were virtually unstoppable by others their own age. Bil despised Quidditch; and Krait chuckled to think that there would be cricket matches played under her tuition over the summer.

When she overheard the twins discussing 'the things Garjala is getting us' she groaned.

It was going to be an interesting term.

oOoOo

Draco too had been busy over the holiday.

Dudley's son had been born; and Lucius had organised a court order that Dudley should have custody. Draco had been visiting his friend and pacifying Petunia.

Dudley was delighted, and was determined to be a model father!

"Don't spoil him then" said Draco "You and I both know that's not good."

Dudley nodded seriously.

"It'll be hard…isn't he lovely?"

Draco thought the baby looked like all babies, rather like Horace Slughorn without his moustache, fat and a little thin on top; but he made all the right noises. He would doubtless feel the same way about his own offspring one day.

"What's his name?" he asked.

"Harry" said Dudley. "Dad don't like it above half, but I'll be living in at Malfoy Manor when I'm trained, so he won't see him grow up magical much; he can hide it when we visit I reckon."

Draco nodded.

"And he'll grow up with my half siblings too, which is nice" he said "He'll start Hogwarts with friends. It's lonely otherwise."

Dudley beamed.

"And I guess he'll have cousins too when Harry marries Ginny" he said fondly "She's a real piece of all right; he's got lucky with her, 'cos I reckon she's nice too, not a little tart like Keelanna."

Draco forbore to mention that nobody forced Dudley to sleep with Keelanna. Muggles seemed to operate under different moral rules to wizards; and perhaps at that some of them might prevent some misery. If divorce were not quite so shameful say, miserable parents would not make miserable children, like Melody and Harmony Bloom.

That however was by the by; and if Draco did think that muggles took their sex too casually he kept it to himself. Small Harry Durseley had arrived in the world and that was it; and the best had to be made of it.

How Dudley could bear to touch the awful girl that was the baby's mother fastidious Draco could not imagine however! At least Petunia was prepared to coo over the baby, her darling Diddykin's own little son; although she had been horrified at first and disinclined to believe it, asking Dudley if some awful girl had palmed him off with another boy's baby, if he really understood how babies were made.

Dudley had left it to the last minute before bringing small Harry home to tell her; and Draco could quite appreciate her shock.

"The boy is his, Madam Dursely" said Draco "I used…methods to find out."

Her mouth made an 'o'.

"With…" she indicated his wand.

Draco nodded.

"He will also be a wizard like his namesake" he said quietly.

Petunia looked horrified.

"Oh Popkin, we must keep that from your father!" she said.

Dudley nodded.

"Yeah, I though it might be a good idea" he said. "Mums, will you help me tell him he's a grandfather?"

"Of – of course, Popkin" said Petunia.

"And I'll stand his godfather if you'll have me" said Draco.

Dudley beamed all over his round face.

"If I'll have you? I'd be honoured, Draco!"

"Your father won't like that either" said Petunia.

"Well I'm afraid he's going to have to do the other thing" said Dudley "Draco's helped me get custody of Harry and he's got more right to be his godfather than anyone!"

Draco stayed to see small Harry introduced to his grandfather; it seemed like a good idea. Vernon was afraid of the Malfoys.

He blustered a lot, demanded to know why Dudley had not used protection, if he was sure the brat was his and why he had not been told sooner.

"Because I was stupid, yes I am sure, and because I knew you'd make a scene when I brought him home as well as when I told him and I thought we might as well have only one scene" said Dudley. "If you won't accept your grandson into your home, I guess Draco's dad can find me a corner and a few jobs to pay my way."

"You're not going off with that lot while you're still under age!" roared Vernon. Draco opened his mouth to point out that Dudley was over seventeen, then remembered muggles came of age at eighteen and shut it again. "I don't want you going off with them at all!" Vernon added.

"I don't want to lose touch with Harry or Draco" said Dudley "And obviously I don't want you to decide I have to choose either. I don't see a problem to seeing both worlds, 'cos after all I'd leave home to get a job or, if I was bright enough, go to Uni. Anyway, I guess that means my son is welcome in your house?"

"I don't have any choice, do I?" growled Vernon "Why didn't you leave the brat with its mother and pay her maintenance?"

"Because I don't think she's a fit mother" said Dudley. "I'm a father now; and I have a responsibility to see my son has the best I can give him."

"Well in my opinion the best is not to let him have anything to do with that lot" said Vernon.

"And my opinion differs; and he's MY son" said Dudley firmly.

Draco was pleased; he seemed to have really grown up with a son to think of first.

"And I am his godfather" he said softly "And I'm sure you recall what that means from Harry senior's godfather Sirius Black; that I am pledged to protect the boy."

Vernon gave a whinney of fear and threw a look of dislike at Draco.

Draco ignored it.

"Well, Big D, I'll leave you to your family" he said. "Take care; I'll pop in soon."

He rather thought Vernon muttered 'not too soon'; but he might have been mistaken.

This child would at least have more guidance than either Harry or Dudley.

oOoOo

The good news for the start of term was that Mary-Anne Green managed to arrive, on time, at the right station platform. It was not entirely kind of Draco to applaud this momentous occurrence; but Mary-Anne took it in good part, grinning shyly at him.

The journey was a little disrupted by one of Garjala's goblin toys, which, she explained, she had been designing herself and had made a deal with Weasley's wizard Wheezes over. By way of advertising she set off what she called swooping curser. The gadget was not unlike a golden snitch to look at, save it was silvery not golden; and it swooped randomly on its little wings blowing raspberries and squealing insults in a tinny little voice.

The other first years were enchanted, even Dell admitting to a grudging admiration for the invention.

"Of course, toys are what goblins do best" he qualified.

"You wait til you meet some of my other toys" said Garjala "Reckon I might have sold some to Slytherin who don't like you enough to use them."

Dell looked faintly apprehensive.

"Huh, I'm not bothered" he said firmly.

"Is it true you tested a clockwork unexpected tweeter on that Pius Thicknesse fellow who was cleared of being a real Deatheater?" asked Callum. Garjala grinned wickedly.

"Yeah, I got my dad to find an excuse to go to the ministry and let it loose under his floorboards where it trundled around tweeting loudly at random intervals. Dad said he kept leaping around the room o find what was making the noise and got awfully twitchy! I'm working on a self winding one that'll never run down while there's any kind of vibration nearby, like footsteps or muggle traffic."

"It's such a pity Percy Weasley saw sense and came back to the family fold" said Persis mournfully "He always has risen so beautiful being pompous; he'd have been the perfect mark for one of those."

"Oh well, I don't suppose being one of the good guys is going to entirely stop him being pompous" said Garjala cheerfully "We can always prick his pomposity another time if he gets silly again."

"You brats are insulting my brother here" said Ron, putting his head round the carriage door "And I'll thank you to cease and desist. He's a LOT better since he found out where his pomposity nearly landed him!"

"Well, honoured prefect, if he stays that way, we shan't have to rag him, shall we?" said Garjala sweetly.

Ron clipped her neatly but gently across the back of the head as he used to do to Ginny before she learned to retaliate with the bat bogey hex.

oOoOo

The big news at the first feast was that Durmstrang had invited Hogwarts and Beauxbatons to a duelling contest.

"They propose a team of six, who will play in pairs as a round Robin to accumulate points for themselves and their team" said Dumbledore "The top eight young wizards in individual points to pair off for personal as well as school glory" he said. "If the school wishes to be involved in this as well as the quidditch match against the fey, I will accept, but not unless you will it."

Ernie Macmillan stood.

"I think it is important, sir, that we continue to let the wizards of Durmstrang know that Hogwarts produces the best wizards in case they get ideas of replacing Voldemort with some new er, Grindelwald" he said.

"Huh, it'll be another chance for Harry Potter to show off" grumbled Pansy Parkinson.

"The top duellists in the club will be the ones we send – if the school wills it" said Severus "I think, headmaster, a show of hands?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"Those in favour, raise your hands" he said.

Those in favour were most certainly in the majority.

Peeves swooped down.

"OOH Potty, go and blast them dark Durmstrangers! Show 'em you know exactly where to put your wand!"

"Vulgar creature" muttered Hermione, the effect spoiled by the Malfoy twins shouting across tables,

"THEY DON'T LIKE IT UP 'EM!"

Hermione gave up.

She had no intention of letting anything upset her quest for a high number of NEWTs; though having gained two for the things she had done fighting Voldemort, Potions and DADA both at 'O' and having gained an 'O' also on her Arithmancy paper sat a year early she was not doing badly so far! Secretly, Hermione hoped to gain as many NEWTs as Krait, who had gained seven NEWTs, five of them at 'O'. Hermione dearly wanted to gain seven NEWTs at 'O'; and was also taking Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Ancient Runes. She firmly ignored the guilty thought that if she did get higher marks than Krait it would partly be because she had only had to concentrate on four subjects this last year and had also not had to live with the strain of fooling Voldemort as Krait had done.

She owed it to the muggleborn to prove she could do as well as any witch!

And she was also taking her own advice about not tiring herself with too much revision, and nor was she nagging her friends – something they all appreciated!

oOoOo

The inhabitants of the Slytherin dungeon found out about another of Garjala's toys when they went to bed; Romulus, Hawke and Bil, who were very fond of Grace, had utilised the so-called self-exploding bed-spread on Tracy Davis.

The toy was hidden in a made bed, and when the counterpane was drawn down the small firework exploded showering the sheets and what Garjala described as 'the bedee' in noxious smelling powder.

Tracy smelled for days despite cleansing spells, scented bath soap and patent curse removers. The latter of course were utterly superfluous as it was not a curse but a physical effect since no spells were involved.

All the other Slytherin thought it highly amusing – within house, of course – especially Dell, who rather admired the New Marauders secretly, and who disliked Tracy; and was glad it was not aimed at him!

Garjala's toys were voted highly successful.

_A/N 'Dad's Army' reference. Also Dudley is quite within his rights to walk out since he is over 16; so long as he can prove visible means of support - ie a job from Lucius so here he's actually in a stronger position than a wizard his own age  
_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

So far as Krait was concerned there was something more important than the success of Garjala's toys by far; and that was the quiet and understated Hatting of Sephara Yaxley into Hufflepuff House in the third year, in the same classes as the Marauders and Ellie and the unfortunate Fish Brunt.

"Which" as Krait said to Severus "Means she has some ability however scant; and amongst that lot in Hufflepuff she won't even be noticeably poor at classwork."

Severus grinned.

"They are rather a poor lot of specimens" he said mildly. "She'll be no worse than Mr Brunt either I wager. That year are either high fliers or virtual muggles."

"Yes, it's funny how it goes that way" said Krait. "And the class that causes more trouble than the rest put together, notwithstanding the attempts of the first."

"Making up for Harry and co leaving I daresay" said Severus, trying to sound sour and merely heaving a sigh.

"Oh they'll be back to give talks and demonstrate duelling I expect" said Krait "And at least the real cloak is going"

Severus brightened. The New Marauders may have bought an invisibility cloak at a car boot sale, but theirs was a more standard version and detectable in strong light. And Harry would need his in his work as an Auror.

It would be the end of an era however.

oOoOo

The duelling competition would take place right after NEWTs; it would make the schedule tight for the Quidditch match, and Dumbledore summoned Harry and Draco to his office.

"You boys are on the Quidditch team; and are quite probably the best duellists I have ever seen bar Sirius and Severus" he said "But I wonder if it is fair for you to be taking part in both….do you think you are likely to be compromising your ability in the, frankly, far more important Quidditch match if you are picked for the duelling tem?"

The boys exchanged looks.

"Well sir" said Harry "To be honest with you, with the load taken from us not to have to think of facing Voldemort on my part and pretending to be a Deatheater on Draco's part, I should say we felt ready to face just about any challenge as fairly minor in comparison."

Draco nodded.

"The Duelling contest might even help us keep our mind off how damned important the Quidditch match is, in a good way, so we don't worry" he said "As well as keeping us sharp. I can't really see that we have a problem. There's no injury we are likely to take in the Duelling Contest that the Bloodgroup can't fix; so we don't have to be concerned about being out through injury. And as for our studies, if you woried they might suffer, I'm up two NEWTs and Harry's up one from last year's little business…"

"LITTLE business?" interrupted Harry.

Draco shrugged.

"Poetic licence?" he said.

"If that was poetry, I'd refuse you a licence" quipped Harry.

Draco grinned.

"Probably wise…. But in any case, Professor, we're not doing a ridiculous number of NEWTs like Hermione or Krait, just the ones we need as Aurors."

"Which is still a higher number than many people take" Dumbledore reminded them.

"Meh" Draco borrowed the expression from Krait "After Fishface, be a piece of cake."

Harry nodded.

"I'd have phrased it differently but I agree with the sentiments. Albus, in a way we need to have things to do, both of us, because we're used to it; we're used to being continually concerned about something, and if we're to be aurors we don't want to lose our edge."

"Hmmm….constant vigilance you mean?"

"Something like that. Maybe Draco and I will never live to see old age; because we've done so much we may burn out. Or die in action. But I guess action is all we know."

"And" said Dumbledore sighing "I do wonder if that is wrong…but there has been no real choice up to now. Well, you are both over seventeen, so I cannot stop you if you feel you can handle both."

Draco grinned again.

"But don't blame you if we fail our NEWTs?" he asked.

"Cheeky…. No, I just hope you're making the right decision."

"Albus" said Harry intensely "All my life you have tried to protect me; and every time you've tried to stop me doing what I think is right, I've got into trouble because I haven't had your support. Over the last year and more when you agreed to tell me things and when we all pulled the same way it's gone like a dream. I don't – I CAN'T do passive. I was born to fight; and Draco was born to fight beside me to bring the houses together. Krait may be Slytherin's heir, and without her, I doubt we'd have done so well or been so happy; but Draco and I are in some ways the heirs of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin in spirit, different but friends, fighting together for the same ideals, supporting our school. We have to do what we can."

"It is your destiny, you know it to be true" murmured Draco, unable to resist an apposite Star Wars quote.

Dumbledore stared.

"You know, Harry, I had not thought of it in such terms before; and I will not say that you are not right. There was that in your face as you spoke that reminded me of the way a true seer looks; and I think I will withdraw my objections."

"Thank you sir" said Harry.

oOoOo

They discussed it nevertheless with the Blood Group later.

"Meh" said Krait "I know there's a danger of adrenaline addiction – getting addicted to action" she explained to the others "But I'd say if you are, you should use it now, and learn to come down when you're in a safe, quiet peaceful job like being aurors."

There was general laughter.

"I was thinking about the Quidditch match actually" said Severus "And I was wondering if we ought all to take Felix Felicis for it."

"SEV!" cried Hermione, shocked "That's CHEATING!"

"And you think the fey won't be using their fey magic to cheat?" said Severus.

"Well, if they do, that's no reason for us to sink to their level surely!" said Hermione.

"Hermione Jane Granger" said Severus seriously "Are you looking on this Quidditch match as a game? Because it isn't. It's deadly serious. On their side, it's a means to get new blood for breeding more solidity or to sacrifice for their survival; on our side it's preventing them doing that to our little ones. It's not a game, it's merely war carried on by other means of diplomacy if I may mangle the quotation."

"What quotation?" asked Ron.

"'War is diplomacy carried on by other means'; Carl von Clausewitz in his book 'On War'" supplied David.

"Lumme, I'd hate to have your weekend reading" said Ron "Sounds heavy!"

"Without my weekend reading how many people might have been bitten by Fishface's werewolves?" said David.

"Anyway" Severus interrupted hastily "And allowing that different people have different interests which is why we're all so good as a group, we need to debate the use of Felix well ahead of time. Harry? You're the fairest person I know, what do you think?"

Harry pondered.

"I think" he said slowly "There's no difference playing Quidditch against dark creatures to fighting them. They are dark creatures, aren't they?"

"Debateable" said Severus "They're classed as dark creatures but some you might only describe as distinctly murky. They fit the classification in so far as they have malicious intent, but what is a suitable classification for OWL level is more…stretchable to what are effectively post-NEWT students."

"They're Dark Creatures in my book Scales" said Sirius "Try not to be a Gryffindor by being so fair. It doesn't become you."

"There's no need to descend to insults, Padfoot" said Severus.

"I say use it" said Harry "Someone once said of a muggle game that 'football is not a matter of life and death, it's more serious than that' and it's kind of a joke; but THIS Quidditch match is more serious than that. Dementors used to play on their team; and any kids they take don't risk just losing their lives but having their souls ripped from them. Am I right?"

"Probably yes" said Severus.

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place, Scales?" demanded Hermione. "Objection withdrawn."

oOoOo

Practice was soon under way for both duelling and Quidditch; a team must be put together for the Duelling contest and the best were to be chosen.

Harry and Draco were certainties; and Hermione was soon pulling ahead on points too. The other three team members turned out to be David, unsurprisingly, Martin Umbridge, which pleased Draco, and small Bil Prince.

"But she's only a child!" whined Cho Chang.

"She also beat you on points and in duel" said Professor Flitwick, who was helping with the training, having once been a duelling champion. "The child is very talented; and we are bound to send the best you know. Dear me, how this takes me back!" he sighed reminiscently.

"All Blood Group except Martin" said Draco "He is very good; I'm glad I got him to see sense."

"Me too" said Harry. "I'd have liked to have been in a team with Ron though."

"He lacks nastiness" said Draco, grinning at the disconsolate Ron "And that's his talent – being the best support any man could have."

"Hey, thanks, Draco!" said Ron "You mean that?"

Draco nodded.

"You're someone who's there" he said "And especially for Harry that's made his ability to defy Voldemort possible. I wish you were playing keeper for us in the Quidditch match, but it's best I guess not to change the team and there's no way we could explain to Damon…."

"He's better than me anyway" said Ron, reluctantly "He's not erratic. On a good day I stop everything; but…"

Draco thought it would be unkind to mention that it would be a good day if they were to use Felix; so he kept his mouth shut. Ron was second reserve in any case; and if the Blooded members of the team would have preferred him as keeper and Ginny as third Chaser, they did not voice their opinions.

Zach Smith and Damon Rich however did.

"We wanted to play when the match was first proposed" said Zach "And in a way we still do. But when Professor Snape came and told us that the team would use Felix Felicis and why we had a long talk. And if you can make up a team of those of you who took the scar, well, we think you'd do a better job working together."

Harry gulped.

"We're a good team as we stand" he said.

"Yeah" said Damon "A good team – for inter-school matches. And we had our moment of glory playing Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and our names are on the shield for that. This match won't give any glory 'cos it's more important than that. We think you should play Ron and Ginny in our places. We'll both stand as reserve in case of accidents you know; even if it's you as seeker gets hurt, either Draco or Krait could fill in there and Zach as a chaser. Me I'll play beater I need be. But you need the top ones for this."

"You know, you are real men" said Harry "And I'm going to tell you why we work so well together, why we all took the scar; only I'll ask you to keep it under your belts. But you deserve to know."

"We won't blab if you're prepared to share confidences" said Zach.

Harry explained about the Bloodgroup, and how it was entirely experimental at first, a drastic solution to a drastic problem. Zach whistled.

"You took some risks" he said

"Harry grew up having to take risks" said Damon. "Thanks for sharing; I think that strengthens our resolve to let you guys do things your way. And we'll do all we can to support you."

"Put together a team to play against us for some practice then" said Harry "The school second team if you will. There are plenty of people who nearly made the original team."

"'Cept we shan't have Cormac McLaggan if he was the last player on earth" said Zach. "At least I can say truthfully that we have a keeper!"

"See if Cho Chang will play for you as seeker" said Harry "She's good; and she's still cross enough with me to give me a good run out of sheer spite."

"She's a bitch" said Damon "But I don't care; I'll be at the other end."

"Yeah, Ceddie Diggory is welcome to her when she leaves and marries him" said Zach. "Damned if I shan't get the Malfoy twins to play chasers with me; they're young, but they're good. And crazy!"

"David Fraser is solid too" said Harry "I'd have him either as your reserve or ask him to referee for us. He wants to be an international referee you know; he's been writing to Victor Krumm since Hermione let him have his address."

"The chance to play more will make him a better ref" said Zach, seriously "I'll think about that. I should think he'll be playing for Gryffindor anyway, isn't he?"

Harry nodded. He was captain of Gryffindor too; and with a loyal team fully hoped to take the shield again this term. But that was of secondary importance. As gaining the shield for Hufflepuff was for Damon and Zach; and for Slytherin in Draco's eyes. Harry grinned. Ravenclaw was quite likely to take the school Quidditch shield while the other housed played Quidditch to more important ends. There was a sweet irony in that!

It would have been nice to have ended his school career as games captain with a shield, but it was really an irrelevancy. He was, after all, captain of the team that counted.

And all the people who were important to him measured him for what they knew of him not what the outside world's expectations were. And that was very heartening.

oOoOo

The second team were a great deal of help to the first team; Cho Chang was willing to show up Harry if she could, which meant he would have opposition almost as malicious as a real fey; David Fraser played Beater, and sundry others made up what could be considered a good team under most circumstances. The practice matches were bruising; Zach and Damon had every intention of pushing their friends to make sure they were as good as they could be; and had picked those who had not been happy with the choices of the first team where they might to utilise the antagonism. Harry was very pleased with the result, even though it was not comfortable playing in such circumstances. It gave them real incentives to win.

oOoOo

Life for the rest of the school went on as normal of course; Martin Umbridge and his class were anticipating taking OWLs, and there would be end of year tests for everyone that most at least took fairly seriously. Sephara had a lot to catch up, but the staff were kind to her, and Ellie sat with her to help her too. Sephara also made an unexpected friend in her own house when she found a girl called Bethan Price sobbing hysterically in the toilets.

"What is it? Can I help?" said Sephara.

"It's none of your business and I don't suppose you could help anyway, you're next door to being a squib" said Bethan rudely.

"Well I'm better at potions than you are" Sephara retorted, stung. It was true. "Well if you want to be miserable without sharing a trouble to half it that's your problem" and she started to turn away.

"Wait… I'm sorry" said Bethan. "I guess no-one can help but you're not racist if you kick around with that Gryffindor half goblin."

"Ellie's nice. I don't see what her race has to do with it" said Sephara, who was actually more prejudiced against purebloods like her parents than anyone else.

"Well, my grandmother was a leshy" said Bethan.

"What's a leshy?" asked Sephara.

"You don't know? Well look you it's a kind of Welsh mountain fey, kind of related to Veela; they're green skinned with green or black hair and that's why I have green lights in my hair."

"Oh, I thought you might have dyed it" said Sephara. "Are people rotten to you about it?"

"Some are, but that's not the problem, mind" said Bethan "I can deal with that, I don't care about them; but this wild hunt look you will see me as theirs, like Gabrielle Delacourt, but they all look to protect her because she's pretty, and leshy aren't built to lure men in the same way, see; but to warn them of dangers in the mountains."

"Maybe it's because nobody even realises" said Sephara "I think we should go and talk to Professor Sprout about it."

Professor Sprout was taken aback.

"Well, bless my soul, I had no idea!" she cried "No idea at all! Professor Dumbledore must be told at once!"

oOoOo

Professor Dumbledore shook his head.

"I believe I was told" he said "And I dare say I should have remembered had you still been a first year; but you're no trouble, Bethan my dear, and with fighting Voldemort I'm afraid I've been a little preoccupied….you are quite right, you need protection more than most. And you came to us by right; there's been a fuss made around Gabrielle because she's a foreigner of course, and her sister was in the Triwizard and so on…. And of course with a goblin and a half goblin starting in your year a lot of people concentrated their nasty racist little minds on them and let you sink into the background. It's as well, my dear, that no fuss was made when you came or we might have had this trouble on us earlier when we could least do with it; but we need to know, yes indeed we need to know to keep you safe."

"It's not because she's prettier than me then?" demanded Bethan.

"Is she?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes" said Bethan.

"Have you ever wondered if someone whose whole family is blonde might not envy someone with glossy dark hair and of such an exotic colour?" said Dumbledore with cunning. "And eyes as green as Harry Potter's too…. I think you have a poor self image, young lady, that is no more than wanting what is different; as most young girls do!"

"I'd swop looking like Malfoy for looking like Bethan" said Sephara.

Bethan cheered up no end.

As Dumbledore later confided to Professor Sprout, stroking the egos of the half-fey could be very wearing!

oOoOO

Schoolwork was not always a priority amongst the students, it has to be said; and classes, especially in the junior school, were much enlivened – in the view of the pupils – by interruptions by Swooping Cursers and Clockwork Unexpected Tweeters. All goblin made toys were firmly banned and Argus Filch sent to round as many of them up as he could; but by that time, most of the fun that could be had out of them had already been had.

The fullest marks awarded to any Professors had gone jointly to McGonagall and Krait.

When a Swooping Curser had disrupted transfigurations class, McGonagall had barely twitched her wand and had gone to open the window to release the cheerily singing Robin into which she had transfigured the toy. In junior Potions, when several Unexpected Tweeters had started rambling loudly about the dungeon, Krait did not even pause in the demonstration she was making to transfigure them into mice which she sent her pet snake Septimus to catch.

The owners of the toys were impressed; and Septimus was grateful for the unexpected snack.

The only further disruption was the fight that broke out between partisan McGonagall supporters and equally partisan Malfoy supporters – not, it has to be said, necessarily divided by house – over which Professor was the coolest.

Sirius caught the fighters, got to the bottom of the reason for their altercation, and set them detention with lines; all the time, as he confessed in the staffroom, wondering how he was to get through dressing down the miscreants without laughing.

"Meh, I guess it's a better thing to fight over than blood status anyway" said Krait "Daft lot!"

oOoOo

There were other altercations of course.

The Slytherin gang that had once consisted of Hawke, Romulus, Francis Davenport, Gilroy Derwent and Emil Porteous had been eroded in short order to Porteous, the leader, Derwent and Davenport; with the rather dubious support of Porteous' older sister, now rather occupied with OWLs, into whose gang Martin Umbridge had drifted until Draco decided he had had enough. The older Davenport was more a follower than wicked, as Krait said, and Severus nodded; he had been in a similar situation himself and felt for Davenport who was also somewhat poverty stricken as he had been. Francis however was stubborn enough not to take any tentative olive branch from Hawke and Rom; though young Ralph was doing well in the MSHG.

The problem from Francis Davenport's point of view was that he stuttered under stress; and having nobody else to pick on, Porteous took delight in making fun of his supposed friend's disability, making it thereby worse.

Young Ralph was furious.

"I really want to do something to GET Porteous!" he declared in the muggle studies meeting.

"Yeah, of course you do" said Draco "Look, let us stew on it a while; we'll try to keep it in house, for your brother's pride; but until he finds the tools to fight back I'm afraid he's a bit stymied."

"Where can I get him tools? I can work to pay for them" said Ralph.

"Ah, you are a good kid!" said Draco "The tools I meant aren't the sort you can buy; they're things like independence, and self assertiveness and having the balls to kick Porteous in his. He'll only leave Francis alone when FRANCIS turns on him; and that's not something you can do. We've all had to learn it, those of us who've been there; and when you do learn it, that you can make your own decisions, you don't have to be bullied into being what someone else tells you to be, it's a wonderful feeling."

"Who bullied you, Draco?" asked Ralph in wonder.

"My father; acting under compulsion and control by Voldemort" said Draco.

Ralph gasped!

That was far more serious than being bullied by just another boy in his estimation; and he determined to work on his big brother to make him break free!

oOoOo

"That kid has balls twice the size of his brother" said Hawke to Romulus "Francis is a bit wet not to kick being with Porteous."

"Not necessarily" said Rom. "Dad told me when he was first at Hogwarts he got in with a bad crowd because being poor he was eager to be accepted by those he saw as the 'in-crowd' the pure and near purebloods who were well off. Francis was always trying to treat us to sweets to hide how poor he was, d'you remember? And I think he's trying to make what he sees as good connections for his family, and though I guess he'd like to make Malfoy connections he's got an obscure and warped but real sense of loyalty in there somewhere. And it also gets to be habit to be pushed around – until the worm manages to turn. Look at Peter Pettigrew."

Hawke nodded. They despised and pitied Peter Pettigrew in equal measure, as one who had been a Marauder and had let the side down even though under great provocation.

"I guess it's up to us not to let him become another Pettigrew" he sighed. "Porteous we can't do a great deal about; the only reason his father's not an out-and-out deatheater is because he lacked the guts."

"Yeah" said Romulus "Like Porteous who sends his minions out to do his dirty work for him. That's Davenport and Derwent these days, and Derwent's as nasty a piece of work that ever walked. He likes torturing animals if he can."

"Derwent is sick" said Hawke "And I think he really IS sick too. But the wizarding world doesn't take that into account."

"Then it's time changes were made" said Romulus "And having killed Voldemort we've got the clout to suggest changes."

"We can talk to Lucius" said Romulus "He's got clout anyway; and with Harry to back him it means Professor Dumbledore could start doing things like asking to have a child assessed for being abnormal and it would also pick up those kids who are cowed by awful parents like Melody and Sephara and so on."

"Yeah" said Hawke. "We can really make a difference now!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Dobby brought the next problem to the MSHG.

"This here is Meena" he squeaked, introducing a red-eyed and swollen faced female house elf wearing a woolly hat. "She's been freed for a punishment and it wasn't a fair punishment neither, but she won't believe being free is bestest!"

"Meena heard about Dobby not minding being free so I comed to see him" said Meena dolefully.

"What had you supposedly done that was worth so frightening a punishment?" asked Krait gently, forestalling Hermione from launching into a diatribe about the joys of freedom.

"Meena is supposed to protect mistress" said Meena sniffing hard. "It's very hard to do the right thing to protect people; when Meena tried hard, it was all wrong."

Krait made encouraging noises; house elves could not be hurried in talking about their woes.

"But although you did your best, a specific act upset your mistress? Who is she?"

"Cynthia Prewett" sniffed Meena.

"Cynthia Prewett? She's my cousin, her mother is a Black" said Sirius "I start to see a way here… carry on with your story, Meena."

"Well, Meena knew that her mistress' fiancé was having an affair; and mistress asked Meena about it" the elf dissolved into tears "And Meena knew it would hurt Mistress' feelings if she knew, so Meena lied…..only Mistress caught him with his lover, and she was s-so angry she g-gave me this hat and s-said if I couldn't tell the truth I should b-be a f-free elf as everyone knew free elveses was untrustworthy!"

"Silly cow" said Hawke, earning himself a cuff about the back of the head from Severus.

"Impolitely expressed but generally accurate" said Sirius, restraining the elf from banging her head on the floor "You don't need to do that, Meena, free elves don't punish themselves."

"It's WRONG" said Hermione.

"It's very hard not to" said Dobby "Dobby still had urges; and it's only because Dobby's former masters is nice now that he doesn't need to."

"The rights and wrongs of it are beside the point in the light of Meena's distress" said Krait. "You had an idea, Padfoot?"

"Yes….did you come to your mistress through her father or her mother?" asked Sirius.

"I was borned just for her and sold to her" said Meena.

"So you could count yourself either a Prewett family elf or a Black family elf" said Sirius. "Well, the best Prewett I know is Molly Weasley; but somehow I can't see Molly finding any work for an elf, she's too busy!"

"Ow" said Ron, disappointed. Hermione kicked him.

"Well, if Meena doesn't want to be a Black family elf you and Hermione can look after her…." Said Sirius "Only here's Emerald Lenoir, who's descended from my great uncle who was expunged from the family for supporting muggle rights and who married a muggleborn witch; and Emerald's mum died birthing her – that's correct, isn't it Em?"

Emerald nodded. She was holding tight to Hayley Betts' hand; they were best friends after all though from such different backgrounds.

"Well, Meena, will you go to work for Emerald and help her dad?" asked Sirius "They'll pay you if you want to be free but if you want to belong to them, I'm sure cousin Meriadoc will let you."

"Meena wants to belong to someone!" squeaked Meena.

Hermione sighed.

There was such a long way to go for elves to even want rights, let alone obtain them for them!

Emerald smiled at Meena

"I hope you'll be happy working for us" she said "Dad does struggle lots; Hayley visited me in the hols and we both did lots of tidying but dad's a scholar you see and he has lots of books."

"Nothing wrong with that" said Krait.

"It is when you're moving books to have somewhere to eat and have to peer round piles when there's shelves a-plenty for them to live" said Hayley. "Em's dad is GREAT but he needs a woman's touch. I'm going to get my mum to help him a bit in the long hols; but I guess having an elf to help too wouldn't go amiss. Gosh, just think, Meena, you'd be able to find books for him AND put them back when he's finished and still know where they were by magic, wouldn't you?"

"Oh yes!" said Meena. "Is little miss my mistress too?"

"Not strictly speaking but it's like having a sister" said Emerald "So I guess if you'd take her suggestions I'd be pleased."

Hawke was busy muttering to Abrax; and they grinned.

_**ssss**__What? __**ssss**_ Krait leaned over to ask in parseltongue.

_**sssss**__Hayley's my friend, remember? Her mum's nice…if she marries Meriadoc Lenoir she'll never be poor again and they get to be sisters for real and have two parents __**sssss **_ said Hawke.

"Don't interfere is all" Krait adjured them.

They gave her identical and innocent looks which gave her greater qualms than even protestations would have done!

oOoOo

The Malfoy twins were quick to point out that they were not the only source of trouble in the school when two of the lower sixth – illicitly, out of bounds and certainly without permission – went courting on the moors; and the bites they received were more than the love bites they had been anticipating.

They had been unaware – though Hagrid could have told them – that there were adders on the moor. Their yowls of terror and anguish were heard by David Fraser, who was in dog form at the time; and he came, hot-paw, to the rescue, though he refused point blank to suck poison from the boy's buttocks. He did use Parseltongue to reassure the frightened adders.

"Adders don't have a strong enough poison to be deadly to any but the smallest children" he said "And they're not even aggressive unless some fool sits down on them. Now get back to school and see Madam Pomfrey."

As David was only in the fourth, this was in many ways a piece of infernal cheek; but David had learned to love the wild desolate place where his only real home was situated, and had taken time to learn its denizens and its secrets from Hagrid. And his air of command and obvious confidence had two sobbing lower sixthformers stumbling back to the castle with a tale of woe to pour out to Madam Pomfey as she drew forth poison with her wand and dressed wounds with dittany and bade them bed rest – their OWN beds – for the rest of the weekend.

Dumbledore issued a comment at supper that bounds were usually set for a good reason and those who broke bounds and were subject to snakebite had only themselves to blame.

"Cor!" said Ron "I guess we were lucky never to get bitten when we were breaking bounds!"

"I doubt YOU were rolling about in the heather in passionate and ineffectual clinches though" said David, who had picked up a couple of burrs in his coat rushing to the rescue and had been feeling a little snippy about it.

"Not hardly!" said Ron "Can't you just imagine Hermione on the subject of how unhygienic making out outside would be even if we'd gotten together back then?"

David grinned, feeling better at the thought.

Hermione had very set ideas about what was right and proper!

oOoOo

The next excitement before the exams was Callum's.

He had been dreaming gently instead of doing his Charms homework – cheering charms seemed such unnecessary things when he was happy – when he glanced down and found that he had been drawing.

The drawing was of Harry and Draco duelling.

Callum took it to the MSHG meeting next morning, after showing it to Cynner.

"Look" he said "Is this bad?"

"You were scared over the Cynner picture" said Draco "Did you have a bad feeling while you were doing it?"

"N..no" said Callum.

"Then I guess it's just confirmation that we get to fight the final at the competition – or at least are in the playoffs, right?" said Draco.

"Maybe… I hope so" said Callum.

"Huh" said Bil, laconically "That's more than likely the explanation our Callum; but one can't rule out someone usinf the imperius curse to force Draco to attack Harry, so let's be real careful anyhow."

"Why would it be significant if it's just a contest?" wondered Harry "This light you've drawn joining our wands is odd."

"Guess that's how I saw it or I wouldn't have drawn it" said Callum.

"I think we might talk to Albus" said Harry.

oOoOo

Dumbledore looked at the picture.

"Where did you get your wand, Draco?" he asked.

Draco grinned sheepishly.

"I nicked Fishface's after the battle" he said "I'd broken mine ramming it hard into the ribs of dear darling uncle Hector Yaxley while I exploded him a little bit; and his was sort of available."

"Hmm" said Dumbledore, hiding a smile at the way Draco described his vicious duel with one of the nastier deatheaters. "Then I have an explanation about why it is significant; but I think I'll leave it as a surprise until after the duel. Don't worry; I think Callum has just portrayed a rare occurrence not a worrying one."

And with that they had to be content.

"I HATE it when he's all portentous and mysterious" grumbled Harry.

"But he has promised to reveal all" said Draco " – which would be a scarier proposition with some professors than others, can you just imagine Slughorn in the altogether?"

"Draco! We're about to got and eat!" laughed Harry.

oOoOo

And almost before they knew it exams were on them.

Several students did not have to sit DADA; having been awarded impromptu OWLs or NEWTs after the battle for Hogwarts; though there were a few who hoped to improve upon the automatic 'E' grade if they were not those who had attracted the attention of the examiner to gain 'O'; and Martin Umbridge was among this number. A latecomer to the MSHG he had worked hard over the short time he had been part of the team against Voldemort, and had been getting tips from Draco over the previous year over how to produce a corporeal patronus.

"When I leave school I want to be hard enough to send my father packing and be Peta's legal guardian" he said "Our father's a bully and mum just lets him push her about."

"So challenge him to a duel over his treatment of her, make sure it's legally proclaimed, and kill him" said Draco.

"Can I do that?"

"So long as it's an accident" said Draco calmly.

Martin considered that; then grinned at Draco.

"Justice, not law, huh?" he said.

"Exactly" said Draco. "In time we'll have both; but there are too many people of the stamp of your father and deatheaters and just the downright nasty to change things overnight. It'll take a week or two" and he winked.

"It's the tone that's set by the leaders of society, isn't it?" said Martin "As the old pureblood families clung to the soft and lying words of Fishface because they were afraid of dilution they lashed out and got hard to cover their own fears."

"Exactly" said Draco "And pure blood at the cost of impure hearts is not a good enough exchange but it'll take a while for that message to go out, especially as my dad was one of the worst….Fishface laid subtle traps for the hearts of the unwary. Now sod off to your exam and knock 'em dead. Hrm, not literally, mind!"

Martin laughed and duly raised his mark by producing a corporeal dragon – his tribute to his hero-worship of Draco – in fine style.

oOoOo

Draco had little to fear from his exams; he did not think he would fail to get the results he wanted. After all, any one of the MSHG, let alone the Blood Group, had received more practical practice at most subjects than was normal!

Harry too decided that if he did not know enough now to be an auror, after fighting the worst dark wizard in known history and defeating them, then their requirements were a trifle too stringent.

Ron accepted the imminence of exams with more resignation than either hope or fear.

It was Hermione who worried, and that about her grades. She had no fears of failing; but she wanted high marks too. It was a tribute to her trust in Krait that she firmly stuck to avoiding overwork.

Ernie Macmillan was being boring about how long he had been revising as he had over OWLs; and Colin Creevey and Justin Finch-Fletchley both cast _langlock_ on him simultaneously.

"Next time you can't shut up it'll be a switching spell with your tongue and a roll of loo paper" threatened Justin. "We fought Voldemort; I guess we learned more about magic doing that than learning facts. You're the only person taking History of Magic to NEWT level and if you want to spend hours reading up boring goblin battles, do the rest of us a favour and don't talk about it. Nod if you agree and we'll unhex you; otherwise drink through a straw until it wears off and give the rest of us some peace."

Ernie nodded.

"And a fine thing to do to a prefect!" he said as soon as he was released.

"Well a good prefect doesn't cause fights by disruptive behaviour" said Colin "And that really was!"

"And that I agree with" said Hermione "You'll drive yourself into a breakdown if you're not careful, Ernie; and it's a bad example to set the younger ones to bellyache about your hours of revision, suggesting that you're doing that to make up for lazing your way through the year. Learning as you go along is MUCH more efficient and although I know that you do, how do you think small people are going to see it? Live up to that prefect's badge by setting a good example!"

Ernie was shocked enough to subside!

oOoOo

The Potions exam included a theoretical question on how to brew Felix Felicis – it being impractical to make something with so long a preparation time – with extra credit given for arithmantic calculation on the timing of the preparations and gathering of ingredients. Harry had not helped brew it, but he knew enough about how to do so. Cho Chang, also taking the exam doubtless included a page of arithmantic notes. The following question covered the results of a failed felix and the legal issues surrounding it. Again Harry knew this; Severus had warned about the recklessness, giddiness and overconfidence that could be taken by the unwary to be an increase in ability. As to the legal implications, it was of course a banned substance in any sporting event, examination or election, and he wondered if Hermione worried still about the forthcoming quidditch match.

The practical was easy enough.

Brewing the draught of living death was especially easy for those who had read Severus; notes and Harry duly crushed the sopophorous beans with the back of their knife instead of chopping them; and adding a clockwise stir every seventh counter-clockwise stir. [Hermione had worked out the arithmancy of this for herself to satisfy herself that Severus was quite right of course, and had informed Severus that she concurred with his calculations; the memory of the look on his face made Harry grin] He heaved a deep sigh of relief as her potion went from deep purple at the halfway stage to the pale lilac of the finished potion. Cho's looked similar he noted; although perhaps not quite such a delicate shade.

The second task was to brew a potion from a recipe the class were unlikely to have seen before and then test its properties.

It was a difficult and challenging potion; and Harry was sweating over it, with the other students hardly less bothered. Some of the others had virtually given up.

This only spurred Harry on; knowing he would never hear the last of it from Hermione if he gave up, even if Severus forgave him.

Harry was certain as he got to the halfway stage that he had seen Severus brewing it a long time ago…..he had been in detention over something….

He stiffened.

It was when Remus Lupin was teaching; it must be the wolfbane potion!

After that a lot fell into place and he worked hard, remembering that he had read something of the potion in case he ever had to help his father's old friend.

Cho Chang, across the room, watched sudden revelation cross Harry's face with chagrin; but she knew if she followed the instructions she could not go far wrong. She was a better potioneer than Harry, surely!

Harry went through the motions of testing for the potion's properties, picking his tests to get a speedy result.

Cho Chang ran as many tests as she could and still write them up in the time, scribbling furiously about it being a potion to resist transformation as the time was nearly up.

The moonstone suddenly made it clear and she added,

"And with the inclusion of moonstone I believe this to be the wolfbane potion to assist werewolves resist changing at the full moon" and threw down her quill as the bell to end the exam jangled.

"What the blazes was that potion?" demanded another Ravenclaw girl "Cho, you were writing up to the end, Harry just sat and smirked!"

"Wolfbane potion" they said in unison.

"WHAT?" demanded the Ravenclaw girl.

"Professor Snape used to brew it for Professor Lupin…if you'd had as many detentions as I had you might have remembered it too" said Harry. "Recognised the smell; made me think of gutting horned toads."

"Did you write that in?" asked Cho, furious.

"Not in as many words; but it was a valid test, to recognise a smell if it's backed up with other tests" said Harry.

"Those sly types who got their NEWT for free last year got off lightly" said Cho..

"Actually I disagree" said Harry "They had to brew Felix to get their grade, and they HAD to get it right; the exam was tested by Voldemort after all."

Cho flounced slightly; but several other students made noises of agreement. Having written about Felix Felicis they had no desire to brew it!

oOoOo

Hermione enjoyed her Ancient Runes exam; having made a mistake in the OWL she never intended that to happen again! She happily translated three texts, one in hieroglyphics, one in Ogham and one in Nordic Runes that dwelt upon the treatment of a murderer in each case and commented, as required by the exam, upon the different approach of each with reference to the way the different cultures viewed the same situation and how their language might give clues to this.

She met Harry again for Charms and wrote a more temperate essay this time about barrier charms. This covered such things as the Imperturbable Charm to prevent magical or physical eavesdropping, age lines, and locking spells. Hermione enjoyed this exam, and also the practical which covered muggle repelling charms and invisibility charms. This practical took place outside and involved a group of muggles 'borrowed' from a climbing expedition as test subjects. Concerned about the fairness to them, Hermione asked what was to happen to them.

"Oh, we shall confund them and release them, convinced they had a good day" said the examiner "And people who understand these things will see that they appear to win a free holiday by way of thanking them."

This satisfied Hermione who repelled her muggles neatly, keeping them faintly disturbed and unwilling to approach the outcrop of rock on which she and the examiner sat quite invisible to muggles from Hermione's first charm.

oOoOo

Transfiguration was also a subject Harry was taking; and he had no trouble writing about conjuring spells, one of the most difficult of transfiguration spells in which objects were created out of the sheer energy of the universe. And as Hermione was wont to go on about one of the five exceptions that could not be conjured, which is to say food, Harry was able to cite the law with some aplomb, even if he was not sure what the other four exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration might be. Hermione, he thought, was probably listing them.

He was right; she was.

Harry however recalled Krait's dictum that to conjure anything from thin air one had to be familiar with its properties which meant that it was possible, however difficult, to produce something entirely new. As she had written it up in 'Transfiguration Today' with the properties of the flower she had produced – Severia – he was able to cite her as a legitimate source. The article had been verified by Pomona Sprout too, who had seen Krait produce the little flower and had persuaded her to write the article so that others might have the benefit of Severia with its gentle healing and soothing properties and cheering scent.

It was in Harry's mind when he did the practical, involving casting _Aguamenti_ as well as difficult transfigurations such as turning a violin into a cat, extra marks given for the use of pedigree or intricate markings. He recalled Krait last year had turned her violin into a tabby-point Siamese with a very loud voice and had refused to turn it back once it was given animation on moral grounds. He planned to do the same.

Krait's Siamese had gone to live with the children and was a pampered pet with a yowl to rival any fiddle player.

Harry was less ambitious than Krait; he was not as good at transfiguration and would be content with an 'E' if he could only get it. He made his violin into a tabby cat not unlike Minerva McGonagall, largely because he could bring her to his mind's eye.

Like Krait – and, it transpired, most of the MSHG – he refused to deprive his cat of existence having once given it such.

The last test the examiner demanded – after sending out for more violins – was to produce a bunch of flowers from the wand. Harry smiled; and brought forth a bunch of Severia.

The examiner gasped.

"What is this flower?" she demanded.

"It's Severia, ma'am" said Harry "One of my friends invented it. It was in 'Transfigurations Today' you know."

"Yes, I know… it is true then? The smell…it is exquisite!"

"Of course it's true!" cried Harry "Krait's the most talented tranfigurist I know; and she's an animagus too!"

"Krait Malfoy? Of course… I examined her last year. Well, if I had known she was the KM in the magazine I should not have needed to give her any practical but to check this flower…may I keep the bunch?"

"Please do Ma'am" said Harry, not sure if he was irritated or no that Krait's abilities had been doubted.

"To produce something this new, even if you knew the originator, earns bonus marks" said the examiner dreamily, sniffing the flowers. "Very well, off you go, I've done with you!"

She was still sniffing it as she left the room after all NEWT candidates had finished.

"Harry, you slyboots!" laughed Draco "I wish I'd thought of it!"

"I wrote it up in the written" said Harry "To compensate for not remembering all of the exceptions to Gamp's Law."

"NOBODY remembers all the exceptions to Gamp's ruddy Law except Hermione" said Draco "And we promptly forget them once the exam is over…it's what books are for, guys, to look things up in."

"Or use Hermione as wikipedia" said Harry, winking at Hermione.

"Oh Harry, did you change your cat back?" demanded Hermione.

"Not likely!" snorted Harry "I gave him to Minerva to take care of until we can find homes for them."

"Well I reckon she needed Severia to calm her down then" laughed Draco "She was almost apoplectic by the time I refused to turn mine back. Apparently Hogwarts has an excess of sentiment. I told her, except where it counted, we hadn't been sentimental about Voldemort, and she looked at my scar, went pale and muttered something about Dumbledore's influence."

"I can't believe you boys forgot the five exceptions to Gamp's Law!" said Hermione.

"I couldn't even remember the name of the ruddy law" said Neville "But I COULD remember most of the exceptions, and I guessed that sentient life was the fifth and hoped."

"I wrote living things…" said Hermione, worried.

"Can't be – what about _Serpensortia_?" said Draco.

"MERLIN'S UNWASHED UNDERPANTS!" swore Hermione.

"Well I'm not hardly likely to forget the first spell Severus suggested I use the first time we duelled, am I?" said Draco.

"Hey, me neither!" Justin Finch Fletchley strolled over. "Not after your snake attacked me and Harry revealed he was a parselmouth to call it off! Anyone else refuse to change their cat back?"

"All of us" said Hermione.

"Excellent!" said Justin.

oOoOo

Herbology was the final exam for Hermione and Harry. The written paper covered mostly the breeding and feeding of plants to improve them for ultimate use in potions and Harry wrote busily about using compost appropriate to the species, and the general benefits of mooncalf dung. There were also questions on wand woods and the properties attributed to various trees. Harry wondered whether he would lose marks for mentioning the exception to the bad luck attributed to elder; took a deep breath, and wrote up the elder wand [currently in the possession of a member of the Order of the Phoenix as he added, unwilling to name Dumbledore] and its properties as coveted by Voldemort.

Hermione went into great detail about the full moon gathering of mooncalf dung and skimped on wands, something that did not interest her.

The practical involved re-potting a rare Mimulus Mimbletonia without getting showered with stinksap from its defensive mechanism. Hermione managed to come away unscathed, Harry smelled a bit, and several people stank for days. Neville too re-potted his perfectly; having one of his own, a present from Great Uncle Algie. Neville thought that part of the practical was a gift; a lot of smelly people disagreed. After this they had to uproot a mandrake, individually so that any failures would not disturb other students; anyone knocked out was deemed to have failed automatically, though any who did well on the rest of their exam might discretionally be allowed to retake that part of the test at a later time, dropping an overall grade for having to do so.

Hermione had taken special note of mandrakes since he restoring potion that had healed her from being petrified by the basilisk required it as a major part. She had no trouble easing her mandrake out and stupefying it as it opened its mouth to howl.

Harry used the brute force method of stunning his by knocking the pot hard before turning it out and rapidly cutting off the leaves that rendered it inert.

Neville used the same method as Harry; as did Ron, who had taken Herbology as a relatively soft option and was changing his mind rapidly.

Most other candidates succeeded – they were all wearing ear muffs of course to drown the more fatal effects of the Mandrake's howl – but a few were carried away to Madam Pomfrey to recover and realise that they had blown it.

Neville was almost rendered unconscious by other means when he remarked what a gift the whole exam had been and how delightfully easy he had found it. Harry and Hermione hustled him away to celebrate the end of their exams.

oOoOo

A few more subjects were to be examined as yet; and then the exams were over.

"Whatever happens we're done with schooling" said Ron, throwing several books in the air.

"Ron! Don't do that, our kids will need them!" scolded Hermione.

"I'd use yours if I were you" said Harry lazily "With 'Roonil Wadlub' written in the front using Fred and George's disastrous self-spelling pen and all the doodles inside I suspect you'd rather a son of yours didn't find, perhaps he IS wise to destroy them."

"What doodles are these?" demanded Hermione dangerously.

"Oh thanks my mate!" said Ron.

"I should think Hermione would be pleased that you couldn't get her out of your head and drew pictures of her all the time" said Harry hastily.

"And why wouldn't I want a son of mine to see them?"

"Because of the ones I drew of you naked after I saw you in the shower, so there!" said Ron. "It was when you were dragging around after Michael Corner and I was jealous, all right?"

"Oh" said Hermione softly.

"It's all right to tell her that you love her and find her attractive, you know Ron" said Harry.

"Well I do; and you are" said Ron.

"And you really thought about me so much you did doodles of me?" Hermione was torn between disapproval of drawing in books and being touched.

"Yeah" said Ron.

Harry winked.

Ron added,

"And whatever NEWTs I get or don't get, having you as my wife is by far the greater prize."

Harry grinned.

Ron was learning; and Hermione was getting almost mushy.

Ron was actually delighted with how he had done; having even one NEWT at 'O', the DADA from the previous year was a bonus for someone as unacademic as he; and he had succeeded with his mandrake and only got a light spatter of stinksap, so he thought he had done pretty well. He had charmed his muggles successfully too; and three NEWTs was quite good for someone with only seven OWLs.

And now he was going to play Quidditch for a real goal with Harry, and then marry Hermione.

Ron reckoned life didn't get any better!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Durmstrang Castle looked no less forbidding in summer than it had in the autumn mists; indeed its dark brooding mass seemed even more of a stark and unwelcoming contrast to the bright mountain sunshine.

David started whistling the theme from 'Where Eagles Dare'.

Draco chuckled.

"Boy am I glad you don't have your bagpipes with you…"

"Well I've only just started learning, how do you expect me to sound any good yet?" said David "It's only because I want to play 'Black Bear' like in 'The Longest Day'."

Draco grinned.

"Still, it was hardly fair that those first years fled sobbing to find Sirius and complain that there was a dark creature in the fourth year dorm" he said.

David chuckled, blushing.

"Well I've been called a werewolf before, but never a nameless dark creature" he said. "I guess that above anything else is an incentive to improve."

"Or just assume Shakespeare had the right of it – you know, 'when the bagpipe sings in the nose, others can scarcely contain their urine'."

"That's wetting themselves from laughing" said Hermione. "Isn't it unlucky to quote from the Scottish Play?"

"Muggle superstition only" said Draco "Invented by a long dead Malfoy for the purpose of making hack actors perform amusing and humiliating rituals to break the so-called bad luck; on account of Shakespeare's snide reference to Slytherin in that ghastly piece 'Double double'"

"Oh yes, the reference to the 'fenny snake, fillets thereof'" said Hermione. "I never thought I might consider a muggle baiting by a Malfoy funny; but I have to say I despise superstition and that DOES have a funny side….after all, nobody makes them perform silly rituals."

They were drawing closer

"That castle looks like dementors feel" said Martin.

"Yeah; that's not far off, is it?" said Harry. "Good description, Martin".

"It's the emanations of dark magic and the centuries of misery of those pupils not cut out to be dark magicians" said Severus, who was the accompanying professor. "Erich used to escape and wander off outside whenever he could because he said the very stones felt depressed. It's not a nice place; it has an evil background count, as you might say."

oOoOo

The Hogwarts team landed their brooms in formation with a sharp right turn and a flourish on landing just to remind the Durmstrangers that Hogwarts had beaten them at Quidditch. They were met by the head who had replaced Karkaroff, a woman rejoicing in the name Agata Bacsó, a disdainful looking witch who always seemed to be smelling something bad just under her rather mannish nose.

"And looks as hard as agate too" Bil whispered to David.

David was inclined to agree.

"Ah, Professor Snape… you and your party are most welcome" said Professor Bacsó. "We of Durmstrang have so much admiration for your youngsters fighting the terrible Lord Voldemort…one of your team is surely the great Harry Potter? I thought to recognise him from his scar but…."

Alone of the team Martin did NOT have the scar.

Severus smiled beatifically.

"Ah yes, but once we had used certain rituals those of us supporting Harry as his closest guard found that the killing curse bounced on us too…..hence those of us with scars like his" he said.

"Even on those so young?" she looked at Bil, scandalised "And one so young on your team?"

"Oh, in a question of survival when none are too young to die, none are too young to fight either, if they have the will" said Severus. "My own younger children too fought, for Voldemort would not have spared them on grounds of their youth. They will enter the school with their scars" he added proudly "As Harry did."

The Head of Durmstrang looked nonplussed; and her deputy looked frankly quite green.

"Come on in and meet our team" was all Professor Bacsó could think of to say "And my deputy, Helmut Hesse."

Hesse was a hard faced individual who clicked his heels formally.

"Why do I think immediately 'Gestapo'?" muttered David.

The six on the Durmstrang team all appeared to be older ones, two girls and four boys like the Hogwarts team.

"Hedda Schrempf – pure blood" introduced Professor Bacsó "Tadeusz Zwed, Krista Onodi, Konrad Meier, all near pureblood; Albinus Kasparitis and Feodor Misutin have some recent mixed blood."

"You find the blood status relevant?" said Severus "How quaint!"

"Well, mudbloods are scarcely contenders, are they, professor?" the foreign head smiled a smile that was almost a sneer.

"Oh well, I suppose time will show that…Harry Potter, Mixed blood; Draco Malfoy, pureblood, Hermione Granger, muggleborn, Martin Umbridge, near pureblood, David Fraser, muggleborn, Wilhelmina Prince, halfblood if it's so important to you" said Severus.

There was a ripple of shock.

"You cannot surely expect us to duel filthy stinking mudbloods?" said the girl Hedda.

"Why, are you afraid we'll make you inbred types look bad?" said David.

"Of course they are afraid" said Draco "And well they should be…. Everyone knows too much inbreeding can lead to idiocy, and some of these old continental families have to go out of their way to invent spurious wives to cover up the ways they manage to maintain their pure blood….the family that lays together stays together you know."

"_CRUCIO!"_ screamed Hedda, levelling her wand at Draco "How dare you say my family does incest?"

Draco let himself fall back, drew on the blood and walked towards her, his face set and white.

"I did not accuse any one family" he said "But one of the forbidden curses seems to indicate a level of guilty conscience" and he slapped her face hard. She dropped the curse in shock and Draco let the release of strain show.

There was a moment's shocked silence while the hosts assimilated that Draco had stood up to and managed to act whilst under the Cruciatus Curse.

"She can't have been doing it properly" muttered the hard faced deputy,

"Well, that's an interesting level of hospitality I must say" said Severus "Letting your students make racist comments and then use banned curses on mine….Draco, your comments about incest were a little over the top without more obvious proof than evident moronic behaviour in the girl's blood insult, please apologise."

Draco bowed.

"At your command, Domine" he said. "I apologise for any uncalled for comments that I made."

The boy Tadeusz sneered.

"We shall soon show the mudbloods up" he said. "I look forward to making the girl dance at the end of my wand."

Hermione regarded him thoughtfully.

"How I hope I get drawn against you, you loudmouth" she said.

There was a disturbance at the end of the Hall; and Viktor Krumm came in.

"I heard the name of my friend Herm-ow-ninny Granger, yes?" he said, in delight. "How are you doing, Herm-ow-ninny?"

"Viktor! Good to see you!" said Hermione warmly "As I wrote, I'm to marry Ron when we leave school; we're both doing well! But what are you doing here?"

"Me, I have come to coach Quidditch, so that my old school has a chance to win playing Hogwarts next year; but I have to tell them, never will they have a chance while they fly like blocks of wood, never, never, never!"

Hermione laughed.

"Well with Harry and Draco leaving at the end of this year they might have a chance; though there's David Fraser coming up, and Draco's young cousins so we shall see!"

"Ah yes, this is the Mr Fraser you introduced to me by letter" said Viktor, coming up to wring David's hand "Who wants to be an international referee!"

"Yes, Mr Krumm; I'm not really a good enough quidditch player to consider playing professionally" said David "But I so love the game, I'd like to go for my referee exams"

"Oh you must call me Viktor! Well, I shall certainly see about seeing more of you" said Viktor "We need good referees!"

Madam Bacsó was furious. Here was her one famous pupil who was making much of the two English mudbloods!

"I'm sure you can catch up your social life later, Viktor" she said tightly. "I'm sure too you young people would like to get to know each other."

"Not really" drawled Draco "But we shall do our best to make polite conversation. We English, not being excitable, are capable of hiding our distaste after all."

"Draco, how CAN you?" muttered Harry.

"Nearly two thousand years of well bred snobbery" said Draco.

oOoOo

"We're not all as snobbish as Hedda" said one of the other near pure bloods, the one introduced as Konrad "Krizta, Feodor and I are very glad to welcome ALL of you and hope to have a good contest."

"And I'm not bothered about any kind of blood status; especially not with anyone as pretty as you, Fraulein Granger" said Feodor.

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully, wondering whether to hit him or just be frank. He had a shrewd, mobile face; and she decided to be frank. He was no brainless hand-wanderer like Cormac McLaggan.

"Feodor, my name is Hermione but not because I am interested in your chat up lines" she said. "I've got a fiancé in England."

Feodor pulled a mournful face and shrugged.

"Just my luck…the prettiest girl I've ever seen and she's taken. Which should not surprise me" he said. "Well, I shall make no more mention of it; save to ask you to tell your betrothed that he is a lucky man."

"Careful Misutin" sneered Albinus Kasparitis "You might catch something from the mudblood."

Feodor Misutin smiled.

"Why, if I do it might be something not to be found in the immediate vicinity….like good manners!" he said, kissing Hermione's hand with a flourish. "You excuse… I go to annoy my fellows by talking to other how you Britishers say, muggleborn."

David found Feodor an amusing and interesting person to talk to; he too was keen on quidditch without being a good player; and they exchanged anecdotes and views on international teams, that David followed on the wizarding wireless. They were deep in discussion over which teams had the best chance of being involved in the next World Cup when the Beauxbaton team arrived.

oOoOo

As before the Durmstrang team introduced themselves with blood status, eying with disfavour the large lad who looked to be part giant.

"Eh bien, such a fuss over blood!" said Madame Duval, in charge of her youngsters "Does 'Ogwarts care?"

"No not really" said Severus "We did scare them though by telling that we had two muggleborn and most of the rest with hybrid vigour."

Madame Duval thought about that a moment; then laughed.

"Ça, c'est bon " she said "You see, Hercule, you 'ave ze 'ybrid vigour."

The large young man grinned.

"Name's Hercule Maxime" he said "Madame Maxime is my aunt if anyone is curious, my father was her twin."

"Well, I thought regular sized twin cousins were trouble!" grinned Draco "I bet they ran everyone ragged with the extra reach for deadfall traps when they were at school!"

Hercule roared with laughter.

"Why, I must tease my aunt wiz zat thought!" he said "And look up ze detention books of 'er time!"

The others too were quickly introduced; the French team was evenly divided between girls and boys unless you counted Hercule counting as two as little Bianca Lenci, an Italian girl, quipped. The other girls were Artemise Doré, wearing designer robes, and Corinne Gautier, who was almost as dour faced as the majority of the Durmstrangers. The boys were Jean-Claude Villars, who was shown some approval by the Germanic bloodsnobs, and might therefore be inferred to be near pureblood; and Arsène LeFevre, who looked down his nose at English and German teams alike, but whose eyes were alight with curiosity.

oOoOo

After brief refreshments the first draws were made. Harry found himself facing the unpleasant Hedda; Draco would face racist Albinus, who expressed loud approval that he was to play the one true wizard on the Hogwarts team; Hermione was first against a French boy, the supercilious Arsène LeFevre. She may have been disappointed not to get a chance to fight the unpleasant Tadeusz but perhaps she might be luckier in the second round!

David was drawn against Feodor, and he looked upon that as a potentially fun duel more akin to what he was used to in the MSHG; which would be nice. Martin was to duel Bianca the Italian girl on the French team, and Bil drew another of the French team, Artemise Doré

The other matches were Hercule against Kriszta; Corinne against Tadeusz; and Jean-Claude against Konrad. Ten points would be awarded for a win and points out of ten would also be awarded for style and for creative use of spells. Severus warned his team not to expect fair marking for style or creativity.

"So get top marks by winning" he told them dryly.

Harry grinned.

"Do our best" he said "And in a way it's harder than fighting Voldemort; because we have to use restraint. Nothing deadly on these helpless children."

"And he isn't even saying it ironically" murmured Draco.

"Compared to you, they ARE helpless children" said Severus.

"Yes" said Martin "Even me, that isn't part of the blood pact; because I've faced death too. Sobering thought, what?"

The first match was Harry versus Hedda.

Hedda opened with a leg-locking curse which Harry knocked away with a contemptuous _protego_, and followed up with his signature _expelliarmus_, disarming her; and then bowed courteously and gestured for her to retrieve her wand.

The French team clapped such sportsmanlike behaviour; but Hedda just scowled, got her wand, and let loose a silencing spell before she was back in the duelling piste.

David was stunned when no foul was called, though the English and French teams gasped with horror.

"Cheat!" he said.

"Poor little mudblood can't cope with his hero being bested" sneered Albinus.

"Poor little foreigner, wait til I get you up there" murmured Draco quietly.

Harry meanwhile was not especially discommoded. In fact he decided to make it an advantage; and stuck his wand back in his belt, holding out his hand to do wordless wandless magic. He grinned. _Serpensortia_ would do nicely. He could not speak to control the snake under a silence spell, but if there was any real danger any of his bloodkin could do so.

Hedda seemed to be screaming; and she blasted the snake with fire, which Harry thought most unfair, so he used Severus' spell _levicorpus_ on her to hoist her up by the ankle. Still wordless and wandless, gesturing slightly to emphasise his thoughts.

Outside the silence Severus was saying

"WHY does that boy still have to use his hands? There's no need, no need at all!"

"Do you regularly teach wandless magic then at Hogwarts?" Agata Bacsó was nonplussed. Severus shrugged.

"Only to the seniors and the more talented juniors….it comes in handy if you lose your wand, as wordless magic does in situations like this."

"I have never seen anyone work both wandlessly and silently before!" she was shocked.

"No? Ah well, I suppose not every school can have as stringent a spell discipline as Hogwarts" said Severus complacently. "Of course we do have some excellent professors on our staff."

Hedda, hoisted by one ankle and purple with fury and displaying her powder blue knickers thrashed her wand fairly ineffectually at Harry. Sparks flew, more to the danger of the onlookers than to him.

Harry was tired of it all of a sudden, and cast an irritable cancelling spell aimed at her silence charm, enabling him to hear all the ugly things she was calling him.

"Now that's not very ladylike" he chided "_Langlock"_

Hedda, her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth, undignified and helpless, started to cry real tears of rage and frustration.

"Are you sort of done now?" asked Harry politely "I can't see you have any real way out of that and I could start wrapping you with ropes only it seems to me that I'm rather definitely in control."

"Eet ees a clear win unless M'selle Ssschrempf – ah bah, zese German names – can get free on ze countdown" said Mme Duvall.

Harry waited as a magical clock called out the seconds from ten; and he was the winner.

He was awarded eight points for style and nine for creativity. Hedda received nine and ten points.

"Lumme, I didn't think they'd be THAT blatant!" said David.

"Gotta be" said Draco tersely "Haven't a chance of even making the top eight if they aren't."

"I look forward to hurting YOU" said Albinus, viciously.

Draco and Albinus were up next. Draco was at his most urbane and didn't even bother to get his wand out.

"You must have your wand ready!" said Professor Bacsó "How dare you be so contemptuous?"

"Madam, it would be impolite of me to answer that question" said Draco, bowing "But as you wish; it is your school."

He got out his wand.

Albinus opened with the blasting curse that Draco silently and elegantly waved away with his off hand.

"Show off" said Bil to Harry.

"Draco is, hadn't you noticed yet?" said Harry "Ever the showman, just like Lucius."

Draco grinned at Albinus, made a pass with his hands and the Lithuanian boy scrabbled at his nose as the bat-bogey hex turned his bogeys into bats that flew out of his nose to attack his face. He blasted them desperately, singeing his own cheek as he did so.

"_Diff…" _ he began, but Draco negated the cutting spell.

"_Imped….._" it was the same story.

"Tut tut old boy, you can't begin to think yourself a wizard until you can hide your intended spell until it's out to attack your opponent" said Draco "I see we appear to be facing your second team…or a scratch bunch of juniors under growing potions."

Albinus was furious.

"_Cruc…."_ He began.

"_speculum"_ said Draco.

The other boy screamed and dropped his wand. He fell to his knees.

"What?" cried Mme Duvall "Madam Bacsó, did your boy try to use an unforgivable curse?"

"It looks more as though the English boy did" said Madam Bacsó.

"You will note Draco used his spell word to demonstrate how he reflected what was cast at him" said Severus quietly. "Which demonstrates who DID use the unforgivable curse. Forgive me, but did they suddenly become legal in duelling as well as in welcoming guests?"

"welcoming guests? What do you mean?" asked Mme Duvall.

"Oh a little altercation over blood status arose before you arrived" said Severus "The girl Hedda was keen to show off what a good disciple to Odessa she is."

Draco meanwhile regarded Albinus with disfavour; and turned him into a woodlouse which he hoisted into the air.

"That's the standard punishment for racist remarks at Hogwarts" he said "Get out of that one, creep."

The woodlouse wriggled forlornly.

"You 'ave so 'arsh a punisment just for words?" Mme Duvall was shocked.

"Only for words harsh enough to warrant it" said Severus. "We do not, of course, permit the child to lose their reasoning power whilst in the punishment form so that they appreciate every excruciating moment of embarrassment. I believe we should set the clock?"

Draco too scored eight and nine for style and creativity and once again his own team thought him robbed. Albinus had made a poor showing – as well as falling back on an unforgivable curse – and even the partisan judges dared not award him more than four and three.

"Hardly worth getting my wand out for, like I said at first" said Draco, yawning conspicuously as he released the woodlouse with a negligent flip of his elegant hand. "My nine year old cousin Jade could have taken him."

The Germans were furious and glowered at Draco tight lipped.

"You gotta love these Malfoys" said Harry.

"Yeah, it's compulsory" said Bil.

Hermione against Arsène was next.

After a few preliminary exchanges, Hermione made a quick pass with her wand casting the body binding curse, the tickling charm and Avocado Kadavre all at once, leaving Arsene rigid, twitching slightly and giggling and pale green after a flash of green light enough like that of the killing curse to have non-Hogwarts spectators gasping.

Severus clapped politely.

"Nice wand work Miss Granger, three spells combined in one, a clear win I see!"

"Thank you Domine" said Hermione, demurely.

She had anticipated too soon.

The French boy made the effort of his life to cast a curse breaking charm wandlessly and wordlessly, stoically ignoring the tickling; and got out a _stupefy_ before Hermione realised it was coming.

She was mortified when she came to.

"That was exceedingly well done" she praised Arsène "I never thought you could get out of that; you must have a will of iron. We could have done with you against Voldemort."

He grinned.

"Thank you…I am accounted strong willed, but my teachers call it 'stubborn'. It was a good match."

"And a lesson to all of us" said Severus "That we should not take anything for granted."

"Yes Domine" said Hermione in a small voice. Tadeusz was sneering openly "I shan't be taken for an idiot again."

"Why do your people call Professor Snape 'domine'?" asked Hercule Maxime.

"Because we are the pupils; he IS the master" said Draco facetiously. It was too good an opportunity to find a Star Wars quote to pass up.

"It was a term of affection and respect from his ward, Draco's cousin and we sort of picked up on it" said Harry "Especially as David and Bil here are his wards too."

"Did they get on the team by nepotism then?" Corinne Gautier half sneered.

"Oh! No" said Harry "They got on the team because he expects his own wards to be better than their peers….I'm kind of halfway to being his ward myself in some ways, I was certainly under his protection until we killed Voldemort. Bil pipped my girlfriend by two points to be chosen."

"And I'm kind of wishing I hadn't" said Bil "I've got stage fright."

"Stage fright? Wilhelmina Araminta Prince, you have faced out Deatheaters when you and the other Marauders disobeyed orders and snuck out to attack the Goyles, how can you have stage fright?" demanded Draco.

"I dunno" said Bil "But I do."

"Ginny's great on defence" said Martin clinically "And on minor curses, nobody does the bat bogey hex like her; but she kind of lacks anything between corridor curses and the sort of magic that disembowels people. Which is what you need against baddies but is a little inappropriate for duelling."

Meanwhile Hermione's score was announced; she had achieved ten for style and nine for originality, her opponent gaining only five and five in addition to his win points, meaning that Hermione had scored only one point less than the opponent who had beaten her.

The Hogwarts team cheered enthusiastically; that was more like it.

"It's because she wasn't up against a German" said David cynically "She had the better spell set and the style, and if she hadn't made a fairly reasonable assumption that he was incapacitated she'd have won hands down."

It was Bil up next, looking very nervous, facing Artemise Doré.

The French Girl smiled kindly and patronisingly.

"As you are such a leetle girl I will try not to 'urt you too much" she said.

"I am a contestant; I am here to take your worst" said Bil, coldly, stung out of her nerves. She got off the first spell after the signal, wordlessly and furiously casting the canary transfiguration hex. Artemise squawked tunelessly and flapped a moment before moulting back into her usual form.

"Your people like transfiguration" said Madam Duvall to Severus.

"It is a speciality of ours" said Severus serenely.

Artemise forgot her resolve to avoid hurting Bil and threw the stinging hex; which Bil neatly backflipped out of the way of, casting _Levicorpus _as she did so, from under her armpit.

"THAT is one of the other reasons she beat Ginny" said Harry "She's so good at gymnastics and it takes people by surprise."

It certainly took Artemise by surprise, and she dangled by one ankle for a moment until she improvised by using a general negation spell and dropped – rather untidily – to the floor.

"Jolly well done" said Bil "Not many people can negate it without knowing the counter…shall I count down for us to begin again?"

"Sank you, zat is generous. You are no pushover; I am glad" said the French girl, eyeing Bil with a new respect.

Bil counted them both in for the next flurry of spells.

The Hogwarts team were unsurpassed at quickly putting up protective charms; as Severus explained to Madame Duvall, the possibility of meeting the Killing Curse coming the other way from one of Voldemort's minions did tend to concentrate the mind wonderfully.

Bil started getting creative after that, twisting the _aguamenti_ spell to make a jet of water of such force that it forced Artemise backwards; and then managed to produce a swarm of doxies from the end of her wand that promptly started biting Artemise.

The French girl screamed and fled and there was brief pandemonium as everyone else started firing at loose doxies.

Severus stood up.

"_Poxydoxietoxin!_" he said; and the doxies fell in a shower as though caught in a spray of doxicide.

"What a useful spell!" said Mme Duvall "I 'ave never 'eard it before."

"No, well, I just made it up on the fly" said Severus modestly.

"Peste! 'ow can we stand a chance against people 'oo make sings up on ze fly and 'oo can summon sings not normally summoned?" cried Mme Duvall. "I must go to my Artemise…"

Bil had already gone to Artemise and was expertly waving her wand over the doxy bites.

"Uh, Bil, why doxies not snakes?" asked Draco. Bil gave him a flat look.

"I LIKE snakes" she said "And we saw what that bloodsnob girl did to Harry's snake."

"Fair point I guess" said Draco.

Bil scored highest of anyone to date, with ten and nine for her style and originality in addition to her win points; for having voluntarily left the piste, Artemise was taken to have resigned the match. Though Hedda's collecting of her wand had not counted, since it had been agreed between competitors, the French girl's incontinent flight certainly did count!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

David's match against Feodor was the next one, and as he had anticipated they both had a great deal of fun. Feodor's approach to duelling was, like all the German team's a little pedestrian and predictable. David was no legilimens like Draco, but he soon learned to pick up his opponent's body language to cast _Protego_ in plenty of time. He decided to try an experiment to see if it worked, and cried,

"_Expecto Patronum!_" and pointed his wand.

The huge pearlescent dog crashed out of the end of his wand and leaped silently at Feodor.

Feodor fled.

David had won!

There was brief silence.

"A boy so young can produce a corporeal patronus?" the Durmstrang deputy gasped.

"Excuse me, sir, I am almost fifteen!" said David, hurt "I should be a poor prune if I could not produce a corporeal Patronus at my age."

David of course was comparing himself to such as Harry, who had been producing a corporeal Patronus since he was still only thirteen.

Feodor climbed back up, bowed and clicked his heels.

"You bested me fairly" he said, holding out a hand. David was glad to shake; he would have been happy to call this boy friend.

Feodor was awarded one more point than David on wand style; but was fairly marked with six for originality. David had seven for style, but a whole ten for originality. Perhaps the judges were still a little stunned at his unusual use of a Patronus, he thought! Cynically he reflected they seemed more ready to mark fairly for those of the German team of mixed blood, bumping up the scores only for those of pure and near pure blood status!

oOoOo

Martin was the last of the Hogwarts team to fight; and he was against the Italian girl Bianca Lenci on the French team. It has to be said that by comparison to the rest the match was fairly pedestrian, with some pretty enough wand work but no exceptional spells on either part. Martin finally got a _stupefy_ over Bianca's guard and was awarded the win, but with seven and two points for him and eight and three for her, it was not a high scoring match. Martin was disappointed; unless he did something spectacular, he would almost certainly be out of the final eight.

"Partly it was going last" said Draco "It was only by comparison to us show-offs."

"No" said Martin, honestly "It's that I'm not as imaginative as the rest of you."

Unpleasant Tadeusz beat Corinne fairly comprehensively scoring nine points too on his wand work, but the judges could scarcely give him more than four for repeated uses of the stinging hex and the cruel cutting spell across Corinne's wrist that had made her drop her wand and retire from the piste in a welter of gore.

"I DO hope I draw against him next" said Hermione, stung by the fact that she had made an elemental mistake and was consequently the only one of the Hogwarts team not to record a win.

"So do I" said Bil "I'll just love to see you take him apart!"

Hercule was next against Kriszta. His wand work was not elegant but he beat her on the count using the _Incarceratus_ spell.

Jean-Claude faced Konrad; and again it was a French victory. Konrad seemed to totally lose it, and if Jean-Claude's casting lacked elegance he had a nice line in hexes including a taunting hex which proved Konrad's downfall by making him lose his temper.

"It ees what I 'ave learned by watching muggle Parisian taxi drivers" he said cheerfuly "Zey lose zere temperes and zen zey cannot sink straight, n'est-ce pas?"

As Jean-Claude was a pure blood, the Hogwarts team were more impressed than ever that he had learned by watching muggles and had made new spells from what he had learned.

There was a break then for lunch; and wisely the three schools had been separated to eat. They were served by more than usually downtrodden house elves and Hermione was seething.

"I almost pity whoever she faces after lunch" said Draco to Harry.

"Yeah" said Harry "Let's hope it's someone nasty."

oOoOo

Harry was drawn against Corinne Gautier, who had plenty of fire but in Harry's opinion less skill than most of the second years in the MSHG. He did not bother with disarming her, merely effortlessly countering her series of hexes, and twisted the entrail expelling curse with the enlarging spell to make her monstrously fat. Corinne had no sense of humour at all, and instead of fighting on, fled sobbing. Harry was disappointed. He was pleased enough with his marks, the equal highest so far with a ten for his elegance and nine for the originality but he would have liked a better match. Corinne's score matched her lack of ability, with three and seven only.

Draco was matched against Jean-Claude.

The French boy's jarvey curse, as he called it, made Draco laugh.

"Jean-Claude, I have been taunted by Voldemort, it doesn't get any worse than that" he said.

It seemed that unless he could anger his opponents Jean-Claude was less of a wizard; he had learned to rely on the one spell to give him an advantage for his others. It was worth noting; though the MSHG all trained in a wide variety already. Draco changed the boy through various forms in rapid succession, then summoned a boggart.

It was something else that had never been done; but Draco took Bil's comment about snakes to heart.

Jean-Claude was not expecting a boggart on the piste; doubtless anywhere else he might have easily repelled it with the _ridikulus_ spell. As it was he wailed

"WEREWOLF!" and cast fire at it before fleeing.

The cry alerted the spectators who were seeing their own worst fears to the fact that it was a boggart; and the cry

"_RIDIKULUS!_" rang out spontaneously from several voices.

Draco banished the creature and the pandemonium died down.

"Dear me, Professor Snape, your people like to cause a stir, no?" said Mme Duvall.

"We like to be original" said Severus.

"Sev, what did you see?" asked Harry quietly. Severus looked at him thoughtfully.

"I suspect, the same as you; a little wizened black creature" he said

Harry nodded.

"Why is that?"

"Because, son, we have faced our worst nightmare and defeated it; and many other potential fears along with it. Even my greatest concern, my family, is not a fear because I know that death is not the enemy."

Harry nodded.

"When I was a little bit dead, it was a bit like being at Kings' Cross Station; a waiting place. And my parents chatted to me for a while. And there was a little, whining thing under the seat that was the part of me that was horcrux. And that is why I suggested remorse; I felt sorry for it and for him. I didn't expect him to understand but…"

Severus nodded.

"And so we have no fear greater than that which we have overcome" he said "And I really do wonder if it's the same for a lot of the Bloodgroup."

"We can ask them later" said Harry.

The flustered judges awarded Draco nine and ten points; Jean-Claude was credited for his own spell with eight for originality but gained only two for style. Fleeing ignominiously from a Boggart had cost him dearly.

oOoOo

Hermione had been overjoyed to be drawn against Tadeusz; though she did ask Severus suspiciously,

"Did you cheat?"

"Not at all" said Severus truthfully.

"I did though" Draco whispered to Harry.

Harry grinned.

Under the circumstances he could see nothing wrong in a surreptitious switching spell!

Tadeusz approached the piste with a cruel smile.

"Might as well give up before you get hurt, mudblood" he said.

"Why not resign before I make you look even stupider?" smiled Hermione.

Tadeusz opened with the cruciatus curse; evidently he felt it acceptable as a duelling spell against the muggleborn.

The duel should have been stopped the moment he cried '_crucio_' but it was not. Hermione's _protego_ was up rapidly enough in any case and she started chanting.

"Trying for a protection circle? You will not succeed in time…_Imperio_" said the boy. Hermione stiffened momentarily, then ignored the Imperius curse – one of the few lessons from Barty Crouch Junior posing as Mad-eye Moody that had been of any use – as she continued chanting, whilst absently fending off Tadeusz' curses with her wand.

There was a sudden gasp from one of the girls in the audience.

"He's getting smaller!"

It was true. As Hermione chanted, Tadeusz was gradually reducing.

Suddenly he realised it himself and pointed his wand at his own body.

"_engorg..._" he got no further; with a contemptuous twitch of her wand Hermione cast the disarming spell wordlessly and the boy's wand flew out of the piste, where it rapidly regained its proper size.

"I have enchanted the piste to reduce you" said Hermione as she finished her chanting "And you will continue to reduce until you dwindle to nothing; until you cross the piste line or unless you can counter my charm."

The now rather small Tadeusz squealed obscenities at her in a voice that sounded much like that of a house elf.

Hermione jumped towards him.

"BOH!" she shouted.

He squealed and fell back.

"Know how the house elves here feel now a little do you?" said Hermione "Only I shan't cast a forbidden curse to make you punish yourself, because I'm better than you. Dwindle little man until you vanish up your own backside…or flee before my better skill. Your choice."

Tadeusz ran this way and that, terrified; and finally realised that he was not going to find a way to break the spell, especially not without his wand, and ran out of the piste.

He was down to some four inches high, and the whole auditorium rocked with laughter.

And that hurt almost as much as being made a fool of by a mudblood.

Tadeusz started to grow immediately and was regaining his own size as Hermione finished unwinding her charm. Hedda handed him his wand; and he pointed it at Hermione.

"_AVADA…_" he got no further as Hermione erected a protective barrier and disarmed him all in one movement.

Draco and Harry, with similar ideas, both hit him.

He went down like a ton of bricks from a fist in the face from each side.

Harry and Draco gave each other the high five.

"He should be disqualified!" cried Mme Duvall.

"He should have been disqualified for using an unforgivable curse; as should have the boy Albinus, and as should the girl Hedda for casting from outside the piste. They were not; nor will he be" said Severus "They need these little rules inconsistencies to make up for their delusions of adequacy."

Tadeusz was scolded, for form's sake, for 'forgetting' he had left the piste; but was not disqualified as Severus had predicted.

The judges were however quite chastened and did not mark Hermione down too much, giving her seven and nine; though the Hogwarts team made dissatisfied noises, even though they forbore to outright boo, at the award of six and seven to Tadeusz.

"You were robbed" said Harry to Hermione "That was absolutely brilliant! And so subtle, to MAKE him resign or die."

"I don't know that he'd DIE" said Hermione clinically "He'd be too small an atom to have any sense of being, but it would not destroy him, only make him as small as is possible. I think."

"You only think? That's not like you!" laughed Harry.

"Well I'd not done it before and I haven't covered the theory on uncontrolled shrinking" said Hermione "It's never been at issue before."

"Essay on the subject for your chanting class" said Severus.

Hermione brightened.

She was one of the few people in the world who actually enjoyed writing essays.

Bil, facing Konrad, had a respectable win, scoring eight and ten in addition to her win points and had to be restrained from going to inform the judges that if she had scored so highly, Hermione should have had more than ten out of ten on both counts.

David, facing Hercule, enjoyed his match; the big easy-going part-giant was original enough in his twist of hexes, occupying David until he countered it with a flamenco-dancing hex which David knew he would be teased about for some while by his friends! He picked up the hex as he countered it and returned it with a twist that had Hercule spinning on the spot.

"Stop! I resign!" cried the French boy. David negated it.

Hercule was green.

"I ate too much at dejeunner" he gasped "And you 'ave done for my good feeling….hélas, j'ai mal….." he sat down heavily and heaved a couple of times.

"Sorry" said David.

"It was cleverly done…and my own fault for ze greed" said Hercule ruefully. "We are still friends though, yes?"

"Oh yes!" said David happily. Hercule reminded him a little of Hagrid.

David scored for a win and had nine points for originality – the judges could hardly have awarded him less for taking control of and changing his opponent's own spell – but only five for style.

"Mudbloods like us aren't allowed style" David said to Hermione dryly.

"Apparently not" she agreed.

"Don't call yourself that!" said Harry.

"Why not?" said Hermione "It's only insulting if we let it be."

Martin was last to go again for Hogwarts and was up against the German team's Krizsta Onodi, a Hungarian. He was on better form for this match in terms of casting style though only scored two points on his originality. Kriszta did a little better with four, but was very poor on style when her best efforts were elegantly countered by Martin, one of the things he had gained from the MSHG. She rather lost her temper and went for him like a bull at a gate; and Martin was able to wait until she was completely angered and frustrated and win with _stupefy_.

oOoOO

During the other three matches in the second round, Hedda made short work of the already somewhat demoralised Artemise. Hedda recorded a score of seven and seven – not unfair for her combination of hexes cast simultaneously after the manner of Hermione; and Artemise retired in a storm of sobs with an embarrassing one and five.

The Hogwarts team were mightily embarrassed; not one of them, even a youngster like Bil, would ever consider giving way to tears in front of the opposition unless tears of pain were wracked from them involuntarily.

"The French you know, emotional" muttered Draco.

The Hogwarts team did brighten up and cheered when spiteful and unpleasant Albinus Kasparitis lost yet again to French Arsène. It was a fairly comprehensive beating; the French boy ignored or countered the Lithuanian's curses and used Hermione's idea of combining the full body bind with the tickling curse. As he did not know the avocado spell, he contented himself with hoisting Albinus aloft and rotating him longitudinally.

Albinus cried pax when he started throwing up.

Hermione felt better; she had lost the first round to a very competent duellist.

It was interesting however that Albinus was still awarded ten for style; scored, as David said, for his blood status more than his wand work.

The final match of the round robin was Feodor against Bianca. The Italian girl's style was atrocious; but her combination of hexes showed she had learned from the contest since her match against Martin; and Feodor, bound, dancing from the ankles down, hiccupping and giggling fell voluntarily out of the piste to be uncursed by Madam Bacsó.

The scores must be added up before the playoffs would take place; and tea was served. Hogwarts had insisted that the contest all take place on one day, to get back in case of cheating by the Unseelie court arriving early; and to avoid having to stay in Durmstrang overnight where, as Severus had said, it was too easy for accidents to happen.

oOoOo

Artemise did not attend tea.

"She is 'ighly strung" said Mme Duvall.

The English youngsters smiled politely.

Hermione meanwhile discovered by determined conversation with the House Elves that they considered themselves to belong to the students. By due sophistry she managed to persuade one to accept her school tie from her, as she, Hermione was a student; and promised to pay her to work for her.

Little Rosli kissed Hermione's feet.

Hermione asked her PLEASE not to do that, and sent her to find Ron Weasley for the elf's own protection.

"Ron at least will be pleased" she said dryly "He hates housework. And I can't say I'm keen myself. And if it's only nominal pay and board we give her, at least it's a start; and it shows the others here there's something to hope and strive for."

Draco held his own counsel over wondering if the authorities of Durmstrang, once they were gone, would order all elves who had even considered Hermione's suggestions to punish themselves. She meant well; and at least she was less headstrong over her attempts to free unwilling elves. Indeed, it would bring the elves here a stage further to wanting to rebel, deep down; as the well treated, indeed almost pampered, elves of Hogwarts were unlikely to wish to do.

It was one more free elf; and that was one more to persuade others.

"Sev" said Draco "Hermione touched on something rather important in her duel with the creep; she said she'd not use an unforgivable curse to make him punish himself like a house elf. As house elves HAVE to punish themselves if they even think bad thoughts about their masters, doesn't that argue a compulsion tied to the Imperius Curse?"

Severus stiffened.

"I – Merlin's beard, I don't know!" he said "But I can start to find out! Thank you, lad; and thank you Hermione too, it's a possibility, and if that IS the case, why the self punishment of elves becomes illegal….and we can do something about it, in England anyway."

"It's the worst thing about the slavery of elves" said Hermione "That they feel a need to hurt themselves just for THINKING bad things about their owners; no other slavery has gone that far. I'd feel a lot more comfortable about those who are afraid of freedom if their own thoughts were free."

Severus nodded.

"I agree; and I shall deep legilimens Sirri, for I'm sure she'd like to know too."

"And she loves you well enough to trust you deep in there" said Draco.

Hermione made a faintly disapproving noise, for she could not get over Severus taking Sirri as a mistress, however pure his motives.

Hermione was after all, as Krait had said, rather a synonym for conventional.

oOoOo

After tea, the top eight were announced in reverse order.

Martin was delighted to have crept in by the skin of his teeth with forty points, just below Hedda with forty three. Unlike Martin she was furious to be in so low a position; she had clearly expected to be leading the field and looked daggers at Harry for having beaten her in the first round. Especially when Hermione's name was next on forty five points. Being beaten on points at this stage by a mudblood made Hedda's own pure blood boil! Arsène was next on forty nine points; and Hermione had her own private battle with herself, knowing that had she not thought she had won and lost thereby she would be nineteen points up on him instead of four points down.

Above Arsene was a surprised and delighted David with fifty six points; and Hedda flung out of the hall in disgust, pursued by Professor Hesse. Draco and Harry held equal second with fifty six points, and a surprised Bil was announced as top with fifty seven.

"Well I don't quite know how THAT happened" said Bil "Unless it was the marking over Jean-Claude. I said I was overmarked for that."

"Don't knock it; they all got overmarked too" said Harry laconically "The real test will be in the playoffs. The way I calculate it you'll go against Martin, me against Hedda, Draco against Hermione and David against Arsène."

"That should be three of the final four through then" said Hermione "Two of the matches are Hogwarts versus Hogwarts and I can't see Harry not creaming that Hedda girl again."

"How do they determine first second third and fourth? Entirely on points?" asked Martin "And if so, is that overall or from the first playoff?"

"The two with the top points from the playoff play each other for first and second, the other two for third and fourth" said Hermione. "It'd be as fair a system as any if only the marking was fair."

"Ah well, we've shown them a thing or two so I guess we can't really complain" said Harry "We have ALL our team through; including our two muggleborn."

"I can't see why Hermione isn't higher up the ratings though, she's a better witch than any they have" said Martin.

"Same reason – partly - as Ginny didn't make the team" said Draco quietly "She's a great warrior; but she lacks the flexibility for duelling. In Ginny's case it's because she's learned in a hurry how to fight. In Hermione's case it's because she's too conventional and inclined to believe what the books say is impossible. It's why you fall down as well, old man."

"Oh" said Martin. "I see. My lack of flexibility is training though; do you think I can overcome it?"

"If you want to then yes" said Draco "Hermione, deep down, likes being conventional. She wants to fit in. It may take motherhood for her to realise that there are more important things in life than fitting into the mould. Though Merlin knows, what she's got up to with Ron and Harry facing Voldemort is hardly conventional; but she worries about things like that."

Bil had little difficulty beating Martin.

After all, she and the other Marauders had been hexing him since they were in the first year and he was still running with a gang of bullies. Martin was defeated before he even began, expecting to lose to the fiery little cousin on his awe inspiring house master. Bil did not bother with finesse, but her entertaining hexes did please the audience and she emerged with fifteen points on top of her win.

Harry, out of curiosity, had asked what would happen if one of the playoff group lost but won on points, if caught by a single spell after showing finesse and skill; and was told that in such a case the judges would use their discretion about entering their points into the decision over the final four.

It probably would not enter in to it; but it was worth knowing.

Harry himself faced Hedda again, her square Teutonic face set and determined to beat him this time.

"You may have been the Chosen One to face Voldemort but he's gone now and the powers you stole from him are gone too" she declared.

Harry laughed.

"True" he said "And now I am myself and therefore more of a wizard than before."

"BLAST!" said Draco to himself "What an idiot that boy is, he missed an opportunity to say to Fishface, if you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!"

"Quidsats Haddarach he might be, Obi-Wan Kenobi he ain't" said Bil.

Hedda decided not to bother with any conventional openings but launched straight in with _Avada Kedavra_.

The French team mostly screamed.

Harry was getting irritated by the Durmstrang team and decided to make this an example; so he folded his arms as the killing curse struck and let the bloodgroup split it up into a minor headache. His scar burst briefly into white light as the green flare dissipated around him.

"That you see was all my own" he said to Hedda. With legilimensy – arms still folded - he plunged into her thoughts, dragging out all her most embarrassing and painful moments, letting her know that he knew, that he was in control.

"So's that" he said.

There was consternation all around and whispers of awe. The Boy Who Lived was immune to the killing curse!

Hedda screeched and went at him with every violent spell she knew, trying to expel his entrails, cut him open and burn him. Harry set up barriers effortlessly, then summoned his Patronus, still with his arms folded. Before she quite knew what was going on, the white stag had snagged Hedda's robes in his horns and carried her off the piste, burst open the castle door, and deposited her in the lake.

"That was almost James-like" said Severus "But not in a bad way" he added hastily.

"She made me pissed, Domine" said Harry.

"Hmm, do tell" said Severus.

It was of course a win for Harry as Hedda had been forced out of the piste. There was nothing in the rules banning it; the only method of force-out that was banned was by the contestant using physical means. And Harry had not; it had been his Patronus.

The other Durmstrangers fell back and gave him a wide berth, students and teachers alike. Severus noted on Professor Hesse's face a look of wild terror and chagrin; and promptly went to talk to him.

"Good, isn't he?" Severus said, pleasantly, meeting the other's eyes.

"Er, yes. What one might expect of the Chosen One of course" said the Durmstrang deputy head, turning away "Excuse me, I wish to see that Hedda is all right…"

Severus had seen what he needed to see however.

Hesse was a senior member of Odessa, implanted in Durmstrang to make recruits; and the duel had been for one purpose and one purpose only; to find out whether Harry Potter was still a danger to Odessa and its ideals or whether he had become an ordinary young wizard since the death of Voldemort.

That Harry seemed utterly immune to the killing curse – which Hesse had told Hedda to use – had shaken the dark wizard to the core. And he was frightened; frightened of Harry, frightened of the power the whole Hogwarts team demonstrated so casually, and frightened of what the response would be when he reported to his superiors.

Severus smiled grimly.

Forewarned was forearmed; and he would far rather have a nice, certain piece of legilimensy to arm himself with than the dubious claims of a prophesy from a muddle-headed old fool.

Life would not cease to be interesting for Harry or his friends after leaving Hogwarts.

Draco faced Hermione next; and it was by tacit consent that they put on something of a show as well as duelling seriously.

"It's nice not to have to hold back, to face real opposition" Draco had said to Hermione as they mounted to the piste.

Hermione flushed in pleasure; that was a real compliment.

Draco did not need to fear hurting Hermione, she was more than adept at protection spells and if there were any accidents the Bloodgroup would absorb damage, including him.

By tacit consent too, they undertook silent casting so as not to give away the secrets of some of the spells they were using, such as _sectumsempra_, that Draco used, since it was a distinctly dark spell, invented by Severus in his darkest teenage years. Hermione's quick _Episkayo_ healed the wounds he opened all over her as might not have been possible had their blood not sang together; since dark magic could not be healed fully. Hermione, unamused, turned Draco into a ferret.

Draco turned himself back and grinned. She threw bluebell flames at him of greater intensity then usual; and Draco, knowing Hermione's specialities of underwater flames did not make the mistake of casting _Aguamenti_ but instead summoned a wind to blow them back at her. Hermione quickly cancelled.

Then Draco cast_ Aguamenti_ and aimed it at the floor, concentrating on the word 'saponify'.

It worked better than he could have thought.

Hermione took a step forward, gave a wild squeal of horror such as she had not done from mere wounds, and slid with more speed than grace on one heel all the way to the other end of the piste and off the platform.

Draco was beside her in one bound.

"Are you all right?" he demanded.

"OW….bruised in body and in pride" said Hermione crossly. Draco passed his wand over her to heal any damage caused by landing on her coccyx.

It was a win for him. Not entirely as he had planned or hoped; but it was a wonderful spell to remember!

"What did you do?" demanded Hermione.

"Turned the water to soap….Jark asked me to do it to help him wash the car, and I recalled the ground got a bit slippy. Of course on polished wooden boards…"

"You deserve the win, Draco; it was excellent lateral thinking" said Hermione, determinedly.

"One of the nicest things about you, sister mine, is your generosity" said Draco, kissing her on the cheek.

Harry and Draco were on equal points, sixteen, one ahead of Bil. Which was how, as Bil said, it was supposed to be.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_A/N Dune and Star Wars referenced in one sentence…._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Last of the initial playoffs was David against Arsène.

David already knew that Arsène's willpower was high; and that he was able to counter spells even while under their influence, which was impressive. Therefore if he was to make a good showing – and he was determined to make a good showing even if he lost – he must come up with a strategy that did not permit Arsène to use his strengths to full advantage. Physical spells like Draco's soap spell would be good, though David did not wish to be a copycat.

Physically attacking his opponent was also banned; and quite understandable, though the MSHG used kung fu in addition to wand work; but it meant that using his ability to transform into a dog was not that useful either, when playing with children rather than fighting a battle.

David had to think fast; it was too late to think about researching spells and he had to deflect a neatly thrown hex from Arsène. The boy was strong willed, but his clothes were not. David transfigured Arsène's robe into a cactus.

Arsène yelped; then apparated out of his robe and hurled off a jelly-legs jinx at David as though oblivious to being in his underwear.

He was wearing underpants declaring that the Paris Puissance Quidditch team were the best, David noted. It had panache and David had to grant him credit for that! He deflected the jinx and thought wildly. Then he had an idea; the thought of quidditch had brought it to him. Parrying with his wand, he silently cast the permanent sticking charm on his own shoes; chuckling to himself that he would have been in trouble with this effect had the tarantallegra jinx he had just parried connected, trying to dance with his feet stuck to the floor. He pointed his wand at the floor and said,

"_Alea_", casting the hurling hex forbidden in quidditch but not normally even considered a hex to use in a duel, since it caused a broom to buck and dance and throw its rider.

The piste, however, was a wooden stage set upon the stone floor. It was therefore, magically speaking, no different to a broom.

The piste began to buck and twist. David felt distinctly queasy; but he breathed deeply as his shoes held him firmly.

Not so Arsène.

He shouted with surprise and fell over quite quickly and was rapidly too busy trying to stay on the heaving floor to cast any spells at David. And it was not long before the floor had shed him, tossed like a cowboy from a bucking bronco amongst the rest of his team mates. David thankfully cancelled the spell.

"Ah, you 'Ogwarts people, you 'ave too much of a warped imagination for the rest of us!" said Arsène. "Ah bah, if I 'ad not been stupid I would 'ave used a levitating charm on myself and you 'eld there to shoot like a duck in a barrel as you English say."

"Fish" murmured David. "Fish in a barrel. Yes, that's a good counter; but you didn't think of it in time." He grinned "Thanks though; I'll use it myself if anyone tries it on me."

"Well, I lasted longer zan ze German bitch and get many more points" said Arsène with satisfaction. "You English get given too much free practice against ze Deatheaters, I declare zat is not fair."

David opened his mouth to protest when he saw the French boy's eyes twinkling; and laughed instead.

"We'd have let you have them if you'd only asked" he said "We never meant to be so selfish and steal all the fun!"

Arsène laughed too and draped an arm around David's shoulders.

"Well, I 'ad one win against one of you; I must savour zat" he said.

David had accumulated fourteen points; there were mixed feelings amongst the judges about turning the piste into a weapon against your opponent, though they did give him nine points for originality. He would play Bil for third and fourth place after a brief rest; then Harry and Draco would play off for first and second. And Severus was chuckling to himself about some private joke.

"You boys give them a bit of a display, wandless rather than wordless, before you launch into the serious business" he suggested.

Draco nodded.

"As you suggest, Domine" he said.

Harry nodded too. No reason not to show the Durmstrangers what top Hogwarts duellists could really do.

"Gymnastics and all?" he said.

"Oh yes, firing off spells as you tumble should be spectacular" said Severus. "Pity the rules don't let you do a no holds barred match with kung fu; that'd show them." He had quickly told the others, using parseltongue, what he had found out from Hesse; and without giving too much of their capabilities away, the bloodgroup duellists had decided he was better kept very afraid.

It might save them from having to fight Odessa before they had had a chance to recover from both Voldemort and the unseelie sidhe!

David's fight against Bil was also fairly spectacular by the standards of the foreign students. David did not find the gymnastics came to him as easily as to some, but had learned to do quite spectacular leaps, and proceeded to do so to clear the blasts of flame that Bil directed at him, as she launched into a free back walkover to avoid a throwing jinx David cast at her. Landing just inside the piste she carwheeled forward on one hand, casting the bat bogey hex at David, who was too slow to dodge it and was glad he had had the foresight to blow his nose before coming onto the piste so there was only one bat to blast off his face.

"_Urtica dioica!_" cried David, not sure if it would work, but glad to remember the Latin name for stinging nettles. Bil promptly started growing nettles from her face

"Getting nasty are we? _TAMPAX_ to you then!" shouted Bil. David had a mouth full of cotton wool which he spat out with some difficulty to find it had been a sanitary device. Fortunately unused.

There was laughter.

"Should 'ave put it in anozzer of 'is bodily orifices, English girl!" called Arsène.

David made a universal gesture of disapproval in the direction of the French boy while he and Bil jinxed and parried. At last he had his opportunity.

Bil did like to show off her tumbling skills; and David waited until she launched into midair and cast simultaneously a featheweight spell and summoned a gust of wind. Bil floated off the piste like piece of thistledown.

David grinned.

"Good fight" said Bil, laconically when she had picked herself up. "Get rid of these ruddy nettles, will you, I feel like one of Molly Weasley's stews."

David laughed and cancelled the spell.

oOoOo

And it was time for the final.

If the spectators had thought they were seeing something out of the ordinary between Bil and David, they were in for a surprise.

Severus put a protective charm about the piste in addition to the standard one.

"Just in case" he said "When these boys don't have to be gentle with their opponents they don't mess about."

Hedda was furious to think he was implying that Harry had been GENTLE with her; which of course he had.

The way Harry and Draco duelled lifted the whole artform to another dimension. Without using physical contact they came close, flicking their hands close to the other's face, often letting loose a spell as they did so, difficult to block or counter. Sparks and coloured lights flew, snakes and spiders were summoned and banished, and Draco briefly sported a rosebush growing out of his nostrils. The regular protective spell burned angry red and broke down, and the audience gasped, glad that the English Professor had put up another, stronger one. They watched the odd, glowing purple spot on it nervously as the sheer force of the spells being used bounced against it.

"Time to get serious?" asked Draco as they both stepped back, tacitly agreeing to a breather.

Harry nodded.

"No holds barred?" he asked.

"Not spell wise" said Draco.

There was utter silence in the room; a pin might have been heard falling. Everyone was wondering, but dared not ask, if they had not been serious before, what was going to happen now?

The boys got out their wands; and there was a loud CRACK! As both cast simultaneously….and the wands were joined by a seething, writhing green line. Images of the most recently cast spells began to appear in that line, first from one wand, then from the other. Harry's wand seemed just to be ahead in drawing out spells from Draco's.

And then they looked at each other; shrugged; and the line was fading, thinning, gone as they lowered their wands.

Harry looked at the judges.

"You'll have to judge us on style, sirs" he said "I don't think either will defeat the other."

"What happened there?" asked one judge.

Harry shrugged.

"Beats me" he said.

Severus climbed up on the piste and put an arm about the shoulder of each.

"I suspected this would happen if they met" he said "It was why I suggested they do wandless magic first to give you an opportunity to judge them. Professor Dumbledore worked out that this might happen and warned me; for the boys have always used practise wands in the duelling club to limit them so that they get more fun out of it. But there is a coincidence concerning the manufacture of these wands, Harry's wand that chose him in Ollivander's shop when he first went to school; and Draco's, taken after the battle for Hogwarts from the body of Voldemort after Draco's own wand broke. Both have identical cores, a phoenix feather; and not just any phoenix feather but one from the tail of Ffawkes, Professor Dumbledore's familiar. Where wands have identical cores they are said to be brothers, and they will not attack each other. It is so very apposite since Harry and Draco are as brothers; I believe there is a moral to be found in there. Thank you" and he leaped lightly down.

The judges conferred.

For a very long time.

At last, the chief judge rose

"We are of the opinion that no difference can be made in style or originality between either contestant; and as each scored identically all the way through, we feel that we have no choice but to declare two winners, Draco Malfoy AND Harry Potter. Congratulations, gentlemen."

Harry grabbed Draco's hand and raised it in his own above their heads.

The rest of the Hogwarts team cheered until they were hoarse and the Beauxbatons team cheered generously too. The Durmstrang team were divided between genuine applause from Konrad, Feodor and Kriszta and a barely polite clap or two from the rest.

oOoOo

"Aghh it's good to be home" said Draco as Hogwarts castle came into sight.

"Seconded" said Harry.

"Thirded" said Martin

"Lots-ded" added Bil.

"I'll be glad to hit the sack I must say" opined David "It's been a rather busy day."

"Well that's the biggest bit of litotes I've heard since Krait said Fishface wasn't very nice" said Hermione.

"It has served an excellent purpose however" said Severus "Odessa will think twice before they run up against us."

"Unless they decide to strike hard and fast and take us off balance. I would" said David.

"Oh David, you are a pessimist!" cried Hermione "And only too often right… do you really think so?"

"I think I would attack hard and fast in their shoes" said David "But I'm not Odessa… I think they'd spend time studying and thinking about it to present a plan to their fuhrer; whoever that may be at the moment. Sev, didn't you say you had the impression of an oligarchy?"

"I had the impression of leaders, plural" he said "An oligarchy if you will…whether there was an overall head in that I could not say."

"Hmm, oligarchies are often slow to act because they must needs discuss, and everyone have their say, and agree" said David "Which I think buys us time; and more time because they will then know they cannot get in a quick strike."

"Our community is now run by an oligarchy; are we inefficient?" asked Harry.

"Nope, because if YOU say something, most people hit the ground running, and the rest kind of go along with it" said David.

"Know what I'd have done if I'd been Hesse?" said Draco.

"Go on; it's bound to be fiendish" sighed Hermione.

"I'd have contacted my political masters during the lunch hour and suggested an all out strike on Hogwarts while we were away; then ambushed us as we came in" he said "Already tired from a contest, but elated and off guard."

There was a horrified silence.

"Not nice to think about" said Severus. "But well reasoned; it's a good strategy."

"Do you think…" said Hermione in a small voice.

"Hermione Jane, do you not think the rest of the Bloodgroup might have noticed and alerted us?" said Severus "We'd KNOW if they were hurt or even unconscious."

Hermione heaved a sigh of relief.

"Don't DO things like that to me, Draco!" she said.

"Sorry; thought I had to point it out" said Draco.

"He was right to do so" said Severus. "We know that those left behind are as strong a team as we brought – against real threat. Ginny, Ron, Neville, Krait, Sirius not to mention the kids and the staff. But others might underestimate them; and if we get any more duelling invitations or quidditch invitations that even might have been suggested by Durmstrang we warn those who don't go to be on their guard. Ahhhh…time to land."

Ginny, Ron, Grace, Ellie, Krait and Sirius were waiting for the love of their lives; though Sirius did not really take his betrothal to Bil seriously, it being for her protection, he was extremely fond of her. Small Peta Umbridge was waiting up for her brother and hugged him fiercely.

The other members of the team mostly got a more passionate embrace though Sirius just threw Bil up in the air and caught her in a hug.

Dumbledore was also there.

"Go well?" he asked.

"Oh, not bad" said Harry. "Oh boy, do I need a bath!"

"We won" said Severus "Harry and Draco equal first, David third, Bil fourth. All the team in the playoffs. Deputy is Odessa, we have much to discuss – tomorrow."

"Did the wands do their stuff?" asked Dumbledore.

"Oh yes, very well" said Severus. "I'll dump it all in the Penseive for you tonight if you like Albus; I'm tired."

oOoOo

Callum Prince was wide awake and waiting to check that Harry and Draco were both all right; and Harry gave him a brief explanation.

"Oh! How exciting!" said Callum. "I think I'll ask you more tomorrow 'cos it's rather late" and with that he snuggled down and fell directly asleep. Harry grinned; he was such a child still, and looked even younger with his absurdly long dark lashes on his pale cheek. One day, he thought, I guess I shall be watching other red-haired children asleep, and they'll be mine and Ginny's.

It was a very pleasant thought to take into his dreams.

The Bloodgroup had a day or two to rest before the quidditch match was due; and they discussed seriously the implications of the Deputy Head of Durmstrang being of Odessa.

"Really if it isn't one thing, it's another" said Hermione crossly "We get rid of Voldemort and there's the Fey, or Sidhe, or whatever they like to call themselves; and when it isn't them or him it's Odessa!"

"Yes, you'd think the powers of the universe might let us off after saving the world once, wouldn't you?" said Krait with a straight face.

"Stop laughing at me Krait, you know full well what I mean… I'm not about to pout and say it's not fair because I know life isn't fair, but it does seem a little much!" said Hermione.

Krait hugged her.

"Yes; we've got rid of my loathsome father, and we're all preparing to settle down and enjoy our respective lovers and then out of the blue there's another problem…y'know, we kind of usurped dealing with Fishface from the Order of the Phoenix and did more than they expected us to, maybe we made a rod for out own backs."

"Well they weren't – most of them anyway – doing very much that seemed practical" said Hermione "I respect the fighting they did and their sorting out of who were the wrong'uns in the ministry, but they hadn't the sense to listen to Harry or realise we were actually capable…."

"Yes, and Mum hit the roof when it came out that Ginny and I had Blooded" said Ron "Talked to us like we were naughty six year olds who'd borrowed our dad's wand or something; and when I pointed out how many deatheaters we'd each killed she started crying."

"Yes" said Ginny "And we needed dad's help to explain that it was for our protection too so Fishface couldn't use us to get Harry and that it meant we could bounce the Killing Curse too. Life was awfully uncomfortable for days, and I still don't think she understands…. I say if our kids are still fighting Odessa when they get to Hogwarts, let's all make a pact not to get stupid over what they're capable of."

"Within reason" said Hermione.

Ginny made a face.

"Within reason? No wonder Ron wants to marry you, you're so like Mummy! Which isn't wrong, 'cos I love her and I love you, but Hermione, please try not to sound forty-something before you reach twenty!"

Hermione blushed fierily.

"Do I really?" she said in a small voice.

"'Fraid so, our Hermione" said Krait "Sort of…sorry, mugglish."

Hermione went redder.

"I – I just don't like being a weirdo like Ron thought I was at first" she said "there's right and wrong…is it wrong to want to protect our children?"

"Hermione" said Severus gently "It's not wrong to protect and mother. What is wrong is to over-protect and smother; like putting too much dragon dung on screechsnap plants. They squirm and want to get away; which is what Molly almost did to Ron and Ginny. Better to let your children KNOW about danger so they walk into it with their eyes open and with all the proper defences at their beck and call than to fail to tell them anything and let them walk ignorant into the traps of evil. By preparing children you do them a better service than by trying to lay them away in a drawer between sheets of acid free tissue paper."

"I can see so much more how Molly felt, now we're so close to getting married" said Hermione "But you mean, I should appreciate Molly's feelings, but stand aside from taking them on to myself…. I will try."

"Meantime" said Krait "We have to deal with what life throws at us; and partly it's because we DID defeat Voldemort so publicly."

"Come again?" said Draco.

"In muggle literature it's called 'gunslinger syndrome'" said Krait "In the old West – America – there were one-on-one gunfights and a famous gunfighter would attract people wanting to insult and challenge him, to be the one to defeat him."

"Oh, like wandslinger syndrome over famous duellists" said Draco "I heard that it's why Professor Flitwick took to teaching, because he was so successful a duellist he was always being challenged and it got boring and tedious."

"Exactly" said Krait "And we've established a reputation – especially Harry – and the baddies of the world feel they have to push, partly to see if he can be defeated, but also partly to see if there's any weakness that makes it worthwhile considering going up against him seriously."

"So I'm going to have to fight the Dark Side until I die of old age or one of them wins?" sighed Harry "I did hope for some peace!"

"That's the point of the blood group, isn't it?" said Krait "So we can knock off the baddies more betterer and take turns being the ones having a little peace while the others do our dirty work."

"Krait!" scolded Hermione "HOW you have the cheek to tick off juniors for their grammar and then use a phrase like 'more betterer' I do not know."

"Inherent unfairness of the system" said Krait "Everyone knows that grown-ups are unfair; when they're over seventeen they can be unfair too."

"Grammar aside, Krait's right" said Draco "When we have small ones and want peace, those that don't, can take over. Merlin's warty ankles, we might end up leaving the New Marauders to save the world at one point."

There were five shouts of 'OY!' from the New Marauders and Draco grinned.

"They probably won't do so bad a job of it" said Harry "They're older than we were when we first started."

"AND more wickedly inventive" said Severus "And stop looking innocent you lot, I know you found a magic mirror in the attic last wet weekend AND I know where it goes."

"Oh, did you find it too when you were young?" asked Hawke.

"I did; and it afforded me hours of amusement too" said Severus

"Where does it go?" asked Krait.

"To an expensive brothel" said Severus "Mounted above a mantleshelf; you don't see much except the preliminaries but it was very funny."

The Marauders exchanged looks.

"D'you think we should tell them?" said Romulus.

"Better now than when they demand to know" said Abrax.

Severus gave them a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow.

"It's on the ceiling of a big four poster now" said Hawke "And that's even funnier because you get to see all these pimply bottoms…."

"Too much information" said Krait, hastily. "I take it they can't see back through? I should have thought being a prostitute was a tedious enough life already without having to put up with four goggle eyed little boys and an occasional little girl peering at them from above."

"Like looking down a well" giggled Kinat "No, they don't seem to be able to."

"Thank goodness for small mercies!" said Krait. "Well this lot are probably ready to take on some Odessa-bashing; we'll see what happens. Fighting evil and restoring justice to the universe might even keep them out of mischief and away from their more er, unsavoury preoccupations."

"If only we could get the brothel end into Durmstrang we could watch them" said Romulus.

The rest of the Bloodgroup stared at him.

"You know, that's not such a stupid idea" said Severus.

"Surely they'd suspect a gift of a mirror?" queried Draco "I would and I'm not a mad German paranoid."

"But if it were installed over the holidays by house elves as though it were scheduled?" suggested Severus softly.

"Now THAT's a gem of an idea, Sev mate!" said Ron "Reckon we need to go peer into this mirror to work out where it is and so we can collect it…"

"Ron" said Hermione dangerously.

"Oh let him have his moment of prurient pubescent puerility" said Krait "All the boys are going to; it's something men almost have to do, grin and smirk at things that are mildly smutty. Besides, he might learn enough not to have stage fright when you two do get wed."

Hermione threw a cushion at her, transfiguring it into a custard pie smoothly on the way.

Krait caught it in mid air with a spell and transfigured it back, it being one of her favourite cushions.

"That'd be a fun way to piss off Durmstrang another time" she grinned "Summoning custard pies…. Seriously Hermione, let them satisfy their curiosity and they'll soon be bored. I doubt it's really very edifying watching er, pimply bottoms wobbling."

Hermione snorted.

"Oh well, if he wants to" she said.

"I shan't Hermione; because it'll upset you" said Ron.

Krait grinned to herself. Later she planned to point out to Hermione how much nicer it was to have them not do something out of love and to avoid hurt than because they had been told not to.

"You can Harry if you let me see too" said Ginny.

Ron swung round and opened his mouth; then shut it again.

"Wise move" said Draco. "Grace?"

"Oh I don't care to, but I don't mind if you want to" said Grace "You might recognise something that can put a place to it. After all, you're marrying ME so what do I care about you seeing some poor woman who has to sell herself?"

"Now THAT was the most adult comment yet" said Krait.

They retired planning to make the installation of the mirror – after finding it – a major holiday task; and went to bed to sleep tight before the all-important quidditch match.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The quidditch team took their felix felicis well in advance and enough to cover eight hours. Just in case.

The fey turned up on time, noisily and suddenly as if from nowhere and a bit like Mr Ben as David said; to the confusion of those not muggleborn.

"Where do they come from?" asked Draco.

"The way I understand it, because they're not all of them fully substantial they exist partly in a weird kind of wizarding space and can travel through it" said Severus "They need the ley lines though to navigate as much as any geomancer; perhaps more. The power concentrated in ley lines helps keep them solid away from their Rath or hill. Hand out this ointment and tell everyone to rub it on one eyelid. It'll dis-spell fey illusion; but you can use the unaffected eye to see what they want you to see."

This was quickly done; and the difference it made was considerable.

The fey team was indeed made up of Highfey, Sidhe Lords; and without the ointment they seemed fair and beautiful and clad in rich velvet robes. With the other eye they still had a wild beauty; but they were a tangle-haired bunch with less than clean skin and their clothes were ragged and torn, dirty and insalubrious.

"That's what they call glamour isn't it?" said David, who had read up on the fey in the meantime. "I thought only they could brew the true seeing ointment?"

"They think they are" said Severus "But I am the world's pre-eminent potioneer and I did some research too."

"Nice one Scales" said Sirius.

There was a brief altercation because the fey wanted to use a real snidget; and Harry pointed out, quite rightly, that such was illegal and he did not plan to spend several years in Azkaban even if the fey did.

"Do you refuse to play us then?" asked the fey seeker, a crafty smile touching his mouth.

"Of course we don't refuse to play you" Severus spoke up "But you can hardly expect us to break our own laws, can you? We laid down the challenge; it was up to you to check the rules in the meantime over what quidditch means to us. Any deficiency in understanding is your fault. Such is what you always say when humans are shocked by some of your rules in hurley. So, we adopt that custom too and thus you cannot fault it. Release the snidget; we play Hogwarts rules quidditch."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief that Severus knew the correct way to manipulate these sidhe, and firmly took the snidget's cage from the fey seeker to release it.

The spectators from the unseelie court hooted and booed; but the team ignored them. The younger members of the Bloodgroup had pledged to keep an eye – and one with ointment on at that – on them in case of trouble.

They were many and diverse; ranging from the downright hideous to the breathtakingly beautiful, and often both on the same individual. A beautiful fair woman much like a veela had goat's legs; another stunningly handsome young man had unattractive blue mottling down his legs – he was almost naked – and a long tail that would have been ratlike had it not been blue. His feet were large and on backward. There were fairly ordinary looking hags – in so far as one might describe hags as ordinary looking – and the selection of elf and goblin like beings. Many beings looked as though they might be part goblins or part elves; and the Marauders speculated that the sidhe used the genetic input of more solid beings to help maintain a presence in an increasingly magic-challenged world

"The woman with goat's legs is a lannawn sidhe" said Bil "She's a Manx fey by rights, a patroness of the arts, inspiring poets and musicians to incredible heights during their bright but short lifespan. She's murky rather than being a dark creature, because she feeds on their passion and talent not on negative emotion; but she doesn't care that it burns them out. I bet she's checking out our musically talented to see if she can't persuade one to let her be his muse."

"Just as well our most musically talented are too young for her to use all that sex appeal on then" said Hawke "Though she can have the glee club is she likes; they almost count as dark creatures in their own right, certainly more than David's bagpipes."

"Unkind, but amazingly still almost true!" laughed Abrax. "Has anyone locked Tony Queach in a cupboard? He's musical enough, even if he is too young to even be able to spell sex."

"He is, effectively locked in a cupboard" said Bil calmly "He had a tune in his head; and wondering how vulnerable he might be I offered him quiet haven in Sev and Krait's rooms to compose. Gabrielle is there as well and that leshy child, Bethan Price and the other musically inclined Ravenclaw who has an insufficient personality for me to immediately recall the child's name. Wintergreen or something. The elves have orders not to let them leave."

"Good" said Hawke.

Some of the smaller fey creatures eyed the Hogwarts children covertly and hungrily; staring at them as though to remember every detail.

"Poor little bastards, I know that look; it's envy" said Kinat "The lowfey are little better than servants; and they see us, well clothed and well fed and no wonder they want to attack us in their jealousy, as poor goblins from the wrong end of Diagon Alley or Penumbrus Place or Knockturn Alley feel like getting at wizarding folk, especially the well dressed ones swanning up the street like they owned it."

"We can't afford too much sympathy for them; right now they're the enemy" said Hawke. "One day perhaps we can liberate them too; and if any ask to be taken in and rescued, well that's different."

"What if they do that to then betray us?" asked Romulus.

"No, they'd be bound by the laws of hospitality which are very strict" said Abrax "As they're bound not to attack us during the match. That doesn't mean they might not try to hex the players – because that might be within their idea of the rules – or attack us right after the match is over. That's what we're here to watch."

"I knew they were bound by rules during the match – dad told me – I didn't know it was a general rule" said Romulus.

The golden snitch was let go; and the match was on. Draco, Krait and Ginny planned on racking up as high a score as they could, regardless of Harry's undoubted talents, and left it to Sirius and Severus to knock the bludgers away from them if the enchanted balls came anywhere near them. They had agreed beforehand that the fey team would be looking to attack and harm more than to score; so Ron was to be almost solitary as keeper, and the two Hogwarts beaters would protect by watching out for the fey beaters.

"Like we play in Gryffindor against Slytherin" said Harry. "Or did before the worst and cruellest buffoons either left or chose the wrong side in the fight for Hogwarts."

Both Crabbe and Goyle had chosen to side with their fathers against Harry and the forces of freedom; and had died under the onslaught of an attack by the New Marauders backing up Tonks, who had been hard pressed. Theodore Nott, a clever boy not unlike a young Severus perhaps, had decided against joining his father, pleading pressure of schoolwork; and had been glad that he had done so. He was a skinny and weedy boy in any case, and had never been a bully; and was now keeping a low profile in light of his father's affiliations. Severus was being gentle with him in the hopes of giving the youth some sort of father figure that was a better role model; and knew from legilimensy that the boy was torn between admiring him for managing to come out on top and resenting him for being alive when his own father was not. The boy was a clever loner, who had never felt a need to join any gang; and Severus was sorry for him; as the boy was not in the common mould of bullies, even if he had the potential to be far more dangerous had he but realised it.

Sirius nodded in agreement over Harry's comment.

"It was that way in my time" he said "Severus had no backup as seeker; the others were too busy trying to maim us."

"So it means he'll know what to do from remembering how hard it was" said Harry "Right, Scales?"

Severus nodded.

"Strut your stuff, Prongs junior: we'll be at your back" he said gruffly.

Whether it was the felix that told him the right thing to say or whether it was just the love he felt for Harry he could not say; but Harry's eyes filled and he grinned all over his face; and Severus knew he would fly like a demon.

Hermione withdrew all possible reservations to the use of felix when she saw members of the spectators busy casting jinxes at the brooms of the Hogwarts team. All of them were protected with anti jinx magics, and it would not take the fey too long to work that out: but that they were prepared to cheat from the very first meant that countering that was not unfair.

When it seemed of a sudden that Hogwarts could never win and all was in vain, and the dementor-like being wafted up to near the visitors' goal to stare at the chasers, Hermione was angry.

She drifted along the tiers until she could level her wand with it, without being accused of casting magic onto the pitch and said very distinctly,

"_Ri-de_"

The creature burst into the now familiar cackling yet crepitant laughter and laughed, under Hermione's steady wand, until it exploded.

The chasers each raised a hand to her of thanks; and continued passing the quaffle. Their passing patterns were complex, including back passes; and the fey beaters and keeper were frustrated. Severus had said

"They are both subtle and yet absurdly simple; keep them confused, keep them off guard and occasionally do illogical things. They hate what they cannot understand and then they make mistakes."

The fey beaters really did hate it. And they gave up all pretence of stopping the chasers within the rules, and started casting spells.

The spells were challenging to counter; being inherently magical beings they did not need wands or speech, though it seemed that like house elves they could not cast the more complex spells without wands. Spells to toss people off brooms were not, apparently, complex.

Harry was hit by one such in the back; and was in mid air, broomless, falling.

And his mind was clear and open.

"Voldemort had learned to fly; and I remember how he did it" he told himself; and he was flying too, as these fey flew. Then he had caught his broom and was on it again.

"Nice one Harry – remember to wear your underpants outside your tights in future!" called Krait.

Harry grinned. There were some parallels at that; Clark Kent was a mild mannered man with glasses and untidy hair.

And his Ginny was worth a thousand Lois Lanes!

Ginny was hit as he thought of her by some hex or other; a brief wash of pain touched Harry and was gone and the fey beater stared at his erstwhile target with consternation.

"Nice try but no cigar" said Ginny, catching the quaffle from Krait, aiming at Draco then spinning it several times round balanced on her finger before throwing it negligently up in the air and heading it back to Krait, who threw it over her shoulder straight in the goal.

Again.

Hogwarts had scored sixty three times to the visitors' twenty seven; the fey would have to up their game and concentrate more on scoring than on spells or else get the snitch with a score of six hundred and thirty to two hundred and seventy.

Concentrating on the game when they had the chance to try to hurt was not in the nature of the sidhe. Their nature was to pick on the smallest; which was Krait.

This was a mistake.

Especially as the spell chosen turned Krait's broomhandle into a snake.

_**ssss**__Hello my little friend __**ssss**_ said Krait amicably _**ssss **__we appear to still be airborn, so I shall not need to turn you back…but I fear as half a snake you are uncomfortable…__**ssss**_

Gently, and twisting the spell Serpensortia, Krait drew the snake forward as though out of her broomhandle – which returned to normal – and draped it around her neck.

"PARSELMOUTH!" screamed the spellcaster, one of the chasers of the opposing team.

Krait stuck out a forked tongue at him.

"Didn't anyone tell you I'm Slytherin's heiress?" she said conversationally. "Daughter of Voldemort descendant of the Peverell and Gaunt lines….you people didn't like old Salazar then? Ah, I see!" she added enlightened "The Basilisk was not there solely or indeed mainly for muggleborn; it was because the fey fear it….don't worry, we've a new Basilisk since Harry killed my old one."

The chaser screamed.

"We have to get away! They have a new basilisk!" he howled.

One of his own beaters hit him over the head with their bludgeon.

The fey all looked very shaken though.

Krait shrugged; and carried on scoring or facilitating scoring.

Best to demoralise them in all ways possible!

It was so obvious. Back when the school was started, there were basically no muggleborn witches and wizards; obviously Slytherin would not bother to set up a defence against that which was not even a perceived threat. But Fey were another matter, and it appeared that the school was not far from a kingdom of them – if kingdom a community of ragged misfits could be called. And with glamour, any fey could enter the school unbeknownst, setting up the conditions of having entered over the threshold, and so gain admittance to carry off any that they could. Slytherin had trained his pet to sniff for the blood of the purebred and those of high concentrations thereof purely to be able to tell if any fey or half-fey were infiltrating his school. That it also targeted muggleborn was an oversight born of an inability to see a time when magic lay in enough muggles, in a large enough general population to make muggleborns relatively common. Slytherin was not racist; he was just creatively paranoid!

_**ssss**__ Heh heh, Salazar my Grandaddy, let's sick these little buggers and good __**ssss**_ she said.

Krait, if anything, stepped up her game and was soon scoring from almost impossible positions, largely by dint of hissing at the fey keeper who flinched every time she did so or ran out a forked tongue at him.

Harry was chatting in Parseltongue to the other seeker, who was looking distinctly green and nervous. The very thought of the basilisk seemed to paralyse them and stop them casting spells! As several of the watchers had familiars which, whilst normal cats or dogs to the naked eye were in fact under the ointment seen to be acromantula like spiders, there was obviously a connection.

Krait considered a partial transformation to see the familiars scramble; but decided against it.

For now.

And Hogwarts was still scoring.

And then Harry saw the snitch! It dashed between him and the other seeker and Harry was onto it with a neat wingover.

It was well ahead; and the fey seeker was on his tail. Was it worth the risk of losing the snitch? Harry thought it was….he knew exactly what to do and he felt lucky! He drove his broom up, the fey behind him, following Harry following – as the fey thought – the snitch. But Harry had other plans. He dove suddenly towards the ground, as though in a desperate attempt to grab the snitch, pulling out at the last moment in what Ron later described as 'the closest bloody run Wronski feint I've ever seen' and headed for where the snitch was still in the edge of his vision.

The fey did not pull out in time, and with a thin despairing wail, crashed.

It was a legitimate tactic to make the opposing seeker crash; and Harry grinned as he closed his hand gently around the fluttering snitch.

Game over.

End score, with the hundred and fifty for the snitch: Hogwarts, nine hundred and seventy; Fey, three hundred and ten.

The Hogwarts spectators – those who had been brave enough to come out with so many fey about – went wild.

The Fey captain scowled; but said thinly,

"You have won; and we are pledged to leave the school alone. Had we known you had a basilisk we should not have even accepted the challenge. I wish you joy of it."

Harry grinned. He knew fine well his only school basilisk was Krait.

"Oh well, it was good for kicks and giggles anyway" he said.

Little Lilith ran over to Krait on her sturdy little legs and lifted her arms for a cuddle.

The fey looked at her and screamed.

"You have hidden the basilisk in the form of a child? You are monsters! We leave – now!" and with a wild cry of summons he leaped into the air and was gone, with his minions, followers, friends or whatever they might be following behind like a ragged cloak that just dispersed into a smokeswirl and was gone.

"What did he mean about Lilith?" asked Harry.

Krait pulled a face.

"I was in Basilisk form when I was pregnant with her; and with Richard. I guess they hold some residual part of its nature. I hope not too much. But Lilith shows no signs of being dark; and under the circumstances I shall watch them both."

"Yeah" said Harry "I can't bear the thought of your little ones turning out like your father."

"He warped the basilisk remember; Slytherin used it as a protector" Krait outlined her ideas. "THAT I shall drum into them. And time to tell the school about the real reason we used to have a basilisk."

There were those of Slytherin House who were shocked at the idea that Salazar Slytherin had not hated mudbloods – had indeed no concept of them; but after the fear the fey had caused there were some thoughtful faces over the theory Krait had postulated. That she admitted freely to being Slytherin's heir did her no disservice either.

It might yet be that the traditions of racism could be eroded by looking to a time before they began; to earlier traditions and earlier concepts of what was the proper thing to fear.

It was at least a start.

And then the holidays were upon them.

"Rum sort of year" said Krait "Started and finished with a quidditch match; and both might have far ranging consequences. Ah well, no peace for the wicked I suppose."

"Speak for yourself" said Hermione "- about being wicked I mean."

"Oh I can think of some very wicked things to do and they all involve my Severus" said Krait grinning lasciviously.

Hermione burned!

"Well, anyway, we'll send you an invite to the wedding when it's settled" she said, hastily.

"And then you can implement similar plans for your Ron as I have for Severus" said Krait blandly, with a limpid look.

Hermione burned still redder!

"Krait, what are you like?" she demanded for the umpteenth time.

"Meh… I'm like Slytherin's heiress, half a Malfoy and my own sweet self rolled into one. And antisocial; don't forget, I keep telling you that, it's on all my muggle school reports."

"No you're not – not really. You're a darling" said Hermione, surprising herself as much as Krait by kissing her fondly on the cheek.

4


End file.
